10to12
Jimmy Flynn (14)
Guys, the 4 games per season rule has been around for 50 years. The issue is that club numbers are dropping and drastically dropping on the north shore and eastern suburbs where the schools play regular Saturday comps.
All this talk about bringing in hot shots to win trophies and get two shots at further selection (might happen a bit) all teams are going to get "Jacks mate who's a star "if they can.
The vast majority of boys in these teams have been playing club rugby with their mates since they were 6 yo.They have bought sausage sandwiches and a coke at every game , reserved for the older team helped set up and pulldown ovals. They are true clubmen. Afew might go on to make a higher team but the majority don't they love playing rugby.
16 year old finds himself playing 1st rugby and there is not a parent alive who says I want you to play club on sunday. So after 10 or 11 years of club rugby he has played 160+ club games and will miss the last 10 because the school rugby has become his priority.
I know of one boy who played with 11 teams last year, club and school , played club since he was 4-5 but will pull out after his 4 games (50 yo rule) because of his school commitments.
SJRU have to have a good long hard look at themselves if they want to exclude this type of kid from their program.
If this grandfather rule is to change , bring it in at twelve so everyone k ows whats in front of them don't slam it onto a bunch of kids that just want to play rugby.
Some of this is obviously WIIFM cause my kid can't make the team, but I have found that in the higher rep teams theboys want to play with the best and the political ring ins despite their parents dinner table conversation are found out and the boys know who they are.
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All this talk about bringing in hot shots to win trophies and get two shots at further selection (might happen a bit) all teams are going to get "Jacks mate who's a star "if they can.
The vast majority of boys in these teams have been playing club rugby with their mates since they were 6 yo.They have bought sausage sandwiches and a coke at every game , reserved for the older team helped set up and pulldown ovals. They are true clubmen. Afew might go on to make a higher team but the majority don't they love playing rugby.
16 year old finds himself playing 1st rugby and there is not a parent alive who says I want you to play club on sunday. So after 10 or 11 years of club rugby he has played 160+ club games and will miss the last 10 because the school rugby has become his priority.
I know of one boy who played with 11 teams last year, club and school , played club since he was 4-5 but will pull out after his 4 games (50 yo rule) because of his school commitments.
SJRU have to have a good long hard look at themselves if they want to exclude this type of kid from their program.
If this grandfather rule is to change , bring it in at twelve so everyone k ows whats in front of them don't slam it onto a bunch of kids that just want to play rugby.
Some of this is obviously WIIFM cause my kid can't make the team, but I have found that in the higher rep teams theboys want to play with the best and the political ring ins despite their parents dinner table conversation are found out and the boys know who they are.
Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk