Rugby Football Union - The Rugby Continuum For Season 2002/03

The Rugby Continuum For Season 2002/03

The Rugby Continuum, which ensures that every youngster gradually acquires skills required for the full XV-a-side game by the age of under 13, aims to improve individual performance through purposeful and enjoyable activity, with a limited number of competitive fixtures and festivals played to test skills acquired.

The Continuum is not just a “scaled down” version of the IRB Laws of the Game played by “scaled down” adults, but a logical progression of modified games for children, with individual rules reflecting ability and safety. Players safely progress through clearly defined stages compatible with the development of their physical and conceptual abilities.

All CBs were recently asked to consult their clubs on proposals to change parts of the Continuum and many helpful and constructive comments were incorporated in the RFU’s Continuum Review Group’s revised Rugby Continuum, which better reflects the needs of the modern game, the safety of the players and, most importantly, the thoughts of coaches and administrators at club level.

Mini Tag Rugby
Mini tag rugby is now made compulsory for U7 players after being optional for U7 and U8 players last season. It will also become compulsory for U8s in season 2003-2004. Andy Dixon, an experienced mini rugby coach and member of the Continuum Review Group explains:

“Mini tag rugby is safe and easy to play, coach and referee and a very enjoyable game which boys and girls can play together in clubs and schools. Unfortunately, touch rugby for the youngest players is not always coached, played or refereed within the spirit of the rules designed to protect young players. With only a two-handed touch on the shorts allowed, it is difficult to referee as it is not always clear whether a player used one or two hands, which can lead to more aggressive ‘touch tackles’. Some coaches also tend to focus on preparing players for contact situations, rather than developing other more important skills.

“Very young players can learn the basics of mini tag rugby in one session, discovering that the faster runners are not always the best, that they need to pass to team mates and being agile and able to dodge and evade helps their game. It is far more inviting to smaller, lighter, and less confident players and as rugby union has always been promoted as ‘a game with a position for everyone, irrespective of height, weight, size, gender or ability’ mini tag rugby supports this excellent concept from the start. Players can be taught to ‘run at the spaces, not at the faces’, helping steer them away from the ‘always look for contact’ option.

“Coaches can show the differences in defensive and attacking patterns and how they are used and a new mini tag coaching course will be introduced in September. The RFU has devised a set of mini tag rugby rules to be used for all competitive games in schools and clubs. The rules are very simple but, as with all other levels of rugby, are best applied by a referee getting close to the game to advise players and play advantage, rather than waiting for mistakes with whistle in hand.

“Through mini tag rugby, six-year-olds will learn the more skilful aspects of the modern game such as running, handling, evasion and support. Tackling, rucking, mauling, etc is introduced at eight years of age so that players have 10 years of full contact training and competition before they become senior players which, in these times of concern about player burn out and retention, is considered more than adequate for anyone.”

The three Stages of the Rugby Continuum for season 2002/2003 are now as follows:

Stage 1 Under 7s/8s
The aim of this stage is to safely introduce and support the modern game by getting players and coaches to develop the running and handling skills needed to exploit space, time, risk, and support play.

Mini tag rugby, optional last season for U7s/8s will now replace non-contact/touch rugby for U7s for season 2002/2003.

Non-contact/touch rugby will continue for next season’s U8s (last season’s U7s) but will be replaced by mini tag rugby for season 2003/2004.

The RFU will provide free sets of tags to all clubs who have shown that they have an U7 team on their RFU Questionnaire (on every club’s own RFU web pages).

Stage 2 Under 9s/10s
The aim of this stage is to introduce safely and progressively, as shown in the current RFU coaching course materials, contact skills, including tackling and scrummaging.

Mini contact rugby will continue to be played by U9s/U10s with the same set of rules for tackling, rucks and mauls. To help players develop, U9s will now have 3-man uncontested scrums and 2- man uncontested line-outs and U10s will progress to 3-man contested scrums and 2-man contested line-outs.

Stage 3 Under 11s/12s
The aim of this stage is to provide the opportunity for players to continue to safely develop all the skills needed for the full 15-a-side game.

Midi contact rugby will be played by U11s/U12s to the same set of rules. They will both have 5-man contested scrums and 4-man contested line-outs. Previously the only difference between U11/U12 rules was that a quick throw could be taken at the lineout by U12s.

Coaching
Clubs must endeavour to ensure that qualified coaches supervise all persons, who are not accredited or qualified to coach. New and simpler coach education courses and resources will be made available, including one tailored to support the introduction of mini tag. Those attending this simple 1 / 2 day course will receive a certificate of attendance. There will also be a new mini contact course for Stage 2 coaches (U9/10s), and a generic Level 1 course for Stage 3 coaches (U11/12s). Free resources will be provided for all coaches attending the new courses.

The month of September will remain solely for coach education courses and for the coaching of players from under 7 to under 12 years of age, with no matches or festivals permitted.

Coach education courses will now also be made available in January. Club coaches must give priority to their own development and qualification by attending the appropriate coach education course. If sufficient coaches are already qualified, then clubs may continue to organise coaching sessions and/or matches.

Clubs should immediately notify their Rugby Development Officers (RDOs) and/or CB coaching committees of their coach education course requirements for September 2002 and January 2003. Clubs should also begin to plan to get new parent/coaches accredited to coach mini tag. RDOs will be giving priority in September and January to the provision of mini tag, mini contact or Level 1 courses.

Season
The Continuum season will continue to run from 1st September to 30th April inclusive. The playing of mini/midi rugby matches in England by, or between, clubs outside the season (as defined by these dates) is expressly forbidden. Only RFU approved or organised festivals/tournaments may take place in May. Applications for such approval must be made through CBs to the Community Rugby and Operations Department at Twickenham by February 1st of each year.

Continuum publications
The Continuum for Season 2002-2003 will be published in the RFU Competitions Handbook and on the RFU web site www.rfu.com. Additional copies will also be distributed to clubs for insertion into their special loose-leaf Rugby Continuum.