Dear Touchline,
This is a true story entitled ‘Why should I play rugby?’. Grandson in his third season at *********** RUFC (name changed to protect the innocent) turns up for Sunday training sessions and enjoys it thoroughly. Not the best player in the team but keen. Recently coach says to him, “Tournament on ****. Wanna strong side, wanna do well, wanna win!!!”

*** says “But it’s my ninth birthday, coach!”

“Don’t care, wanna do well, wanna win!!! WANT YOU ALL THERE. GOT IT?”

Arrives the morning working Mum gives up part of valuable weekend. Dad, who works away from home, gives up his lie in. Older sister gets homework done on Saturday as she can not be left alone in the house. Grandad and Grandma give up whatever grandparents are supposed to do with our Sunday. We all travel 30-odd miles each way to watch *** play in the BIG TOURNAMENT. I think you can see that this represents quite a commitment on behalf of the ‘extended family’, who spend most of Sunday watching *** watch his team mates play three matches, while he sits it out on the subs bench.

The club played the same seven kids in every match. There was some suggestion that the tournament rules said the only permitted changes were in event of injury. So you take 12 kids to play for the club and only seven get a game.

Rugby union has been banging on for years about “Can’t get players, can’t get youngsters involved, can’t get parents involved, no-one wants to know, we’re just lonely little misunderstood rugby orgnisers.” Honestly can anyone be surprised?

Question: What do you say to *** if next Sunday he says, “Don’t want to go to rugby. What’s the point? They only pick the best and biggest players and I never had a run last week.”

Question: What do you say when mum and dad say, “Why should we give up our time when the club don’t give everyone a run?”
I am old, very old. I started my playing career when dinosaurs ruled the land. In fact a couple of them used to play for London Welsh. I can remember kicking goals with the scrum half spotting the ball for me when I started my run in. Even at that time most of the players who joined senior clubs on leaving school dropped out before the end of the first season, although in those days the extra third team result was as important as the first team result.

If kids want to play and are prepared to turn up despite their crowded schedules, if parents are prepared to give up their weekends for them, surely the RFU can organise the rules of kids tournaments so that every youngster plays at least one match. It won’t be *** who loses out at the end of the day. It will be the Rugby Football Union.

Dear Reader,

Host clubs generally set their own rules for mini tournaments. However, subs for injuries only is most unlikely and it’s worth questioning whether this was a stipulation or whether the coach wanted to win at all costs. The RFU’s Continuum sets the maximum number of fixtures and tournaments that Under 7s and 8s can take part in to protect youngsters from overplaying. But Grandad this is a point well made, the RFU would agree that everyone asked to attend should get on the field and that winning should come second to enjoying the experience, especially at this young age.
Andrew Scoular, National Rugby Development Manager