Junior rugby based on weight classes

[RugbyReg]

From a sample of that one game? Certainly the latter.

 

[p.Tah]

From a sample of that one game? Certainly the latter.

Probably, unfortunately as a result of that game two parents new to the sport have decided to take their kids out. That was their first experience of the sport.

 

[RugbyReg]

Probably, unfortunately as a result of that game two parents new to the sport have decided to take their kids out. That was their first experience of the sport.

#sackcastle

 

[p.Tah]

#sackcastle

No just counsel the coaches of junior teams who think they’re coaching a Super Rugby team or think they’re helping lay the platform for a future Wallaby (that in time they’ll live vicariously through).
Aggression in contact is critical for rugby, but good coaches are the ones ensuring that agresssion is controlled and within the rules. They pull their players up even if the ref hasn’t seen it. I’m taking issue with the coaches who turn a blind eye to the stuff outside the rules and think it’s toughening the kids up. I’m talking about 8,9, 10 year olds. I’ve seen it several times recently. These coaches probably don’t even realise.

 

[neilc]

I've been involved with junior rugby in Brisbane for 7 years and that off the ball stuff is very rare - it is usually related to particular teams who seem to be coached to do it or certainly not disciplined by their coaches and parents for doing it. The players in these teams are overly aggressive in their play and what they say on the field. This is isolated. Most junior games are played in a good spirit. I just watched a very high quality U14 game between the top 2 teams in the age group and it was a tough game but notable for no off the ball stuff and no whinging by both sides - just hard running and tackling.

 

[p.Tah]

^^^ yes I attended some junior games today and they were played in the correct spirit.

 

[Bledisloe]

My criticisms of the program are:
The participation rules regarding weight/age were released by the ruling body AFTER most junior clubs registration days.
Assesment is mandatory for any kid outside the parameters for his age group.Why?
Surely it makes more sense that it's automatic, with the option for kids/parents to appeal then be assessed?
What's the process if I have a big/little kid? Where/how do I find a level 2 coach to do the assessment?
How many level 2 coaches regularly watch the age groups of the kids they are being asked to assess ?
How would Cheika go, if he was asked to grade a bunch of kids from ages 9 to 14?

Clearly nothing seems top be happening in qld school rugby regarding checking up ......saw a lad in u14 play on sat that was outside the guidelines for both weight and height and absolutely destroyed the opposition ....it was like a man playing a bunch of grade 8's

 

[BAR]

Clearly nothing seems top be happening in qld school rugby regarding checking up ..saw a lad in u14 play on sat that was outside the guidelines for both weight and height and absolutely destroyed the opposition ..it was like a man playing a bunch of grade 8's

The advice we have in Sydney is that assessments have to be completed by round 4. For us that’s next weekend.

Having said that, the guidelines truly affect very few big kids for mandatory assessment. I’ve posted this before but it’s worth repeating that statistically, it’s 2.5% of players on height and 2.5% of players on weight that exceed the limits (at either end big/small). But, for mandatory assessment you have to exceed on both height and weight (if you exceed on one you can opt in to be assessed but what are the chances the bigger players will opt in?). So, maybe 1 in 100 players at the big end of the scale will be required to be assessed.

In context (for example) an U15 player needs to be 6’2” (188cm) and over 91kg to be required to be assessed. An U15 player built like Stephen Moore (186cm) wouldn’t have to be assessed, nor if they are like Tom Robertson (180cm), Scott Sio (187cm), Marika Koroibete (180cm), or Taniela Tupou (175cm).

From what I have seen the primary use for the new policy is smaller players opting in to be assessed to play down. I think this is a good thing but, when it comes time to review the policy they may need to reconsider the bigger end cut offs.

 

[neilc]

I enquired with the BJRU re the implementation of this in Brisbane last weekend and was advised that the kits were being sent out this week to the clubs for assessment. I agree that the limits are quite high - U12s you have to be both 172cm (5ft6) and 72kg to be assessed - most of the U12s are around 40kg mark. We played a team last week that had a very tall and solidly built loose forward who wouldn't have looked out of place in a high school 1st 15 - and he knew how to run strongly. I'm not sure who is going to enforce these things because the BJRU said it is not up to the referees to deal with it and clubs just ask you to tell them the weight and height when registering - no actual accuracy required. When I was a kid in NZ we had to get on the scales on sign on day but now that has all been pushed on line (sign ons).

 

[I like to watch]

Just saw a piece on the telly about the AFL dude that was suspended this week, not for foul play as I understand it,but for being overly vigorous. They quoted the judiciary saying that he should have taken the size differential into account when making the tackle.(30 kg difference)

This is not under 14 where that that differential could equate to more the 50% of body weight, it's the elite level of the game where they are all full time professionals.

Their administrators are light years ahead of our code.

 

[southsider]

Just saw a piece on the telly about the AFL dude that was suspended this week, not for foul play as I understand it,but for being overly vigorous. They quoted the judiciary saying that he should have taken the size differential into account when making the tackle.(30 kg difference)

This is not under 14 where that that differential could equate to more the 50% of body weight, it's the elite level of the game where they are all full time professionals.

Their administrators are light years ahead of our code.

you don't think thats actually a positive do you?

I'll send an email to the reds asking that next time Tongan Thor sees Aaron Smith running for the tryline if he can just take the size differential between him and ol smithy into account and maybe just go for an ankle tap instead

 

[I like to watch]

I'm comparing how one code handles physical mismatches between its pros,and how another does nothing to address the issue for 13 yo's.

Clearly you're on the side of Tongan Thors running amok amongst little kids, I'm not.Unfortunately the vast majority of parents aren't either.

 

[southsider]

I'm comparing how one code handles physical mismatches between its pros,and how another does nothing to address the issue for 13 yo's.

Clearly you're on the side of Tongan Thors running amok amongst little kids, I'm not.Unfortunately the vast majority of parents aren't either.

so you agree with the ban the AFL handed down?

 

[I like to watch]

I agree with their mindset that physical mismatches are a huge issue that needs to be addressed.
Which IMO is vastly more important with juveniles than it is with pros.

I struggle to understand their logic that the same tackle would be fine if the positions were reversed.
By extension they need to impose minimum size to qualify to play pro, which is probably not that left field the way risk mitigation is evolving.

Meanwhile mismatches in kids Rugby continues to be a blight on the game.

 

[neilc]

Meanwhile mismatches in kids Rugby continues to be a blight on the game.

Yes there are mismatches in kids rugby, and that is not good for the smaller kids and doesn't actually help the large kid to develop their skills as too often they are just used as the steamroller. But watching juniors a lot as I do, a lot of the time it is the really quick kids, who are not large, who have the most impact. Again the same development problem - they are fast so get around people and therefore don't develop their passing/supporting skills, just running for themselves, but that's nothing to do with weight differences.

Having the bigger kids there actually helps the other kids to develop their tackling as we tell them they have to go low - the league style 'grab them around the chest' that so many kids try to do doesn't work against a really big kid, but when they go low they bring them down. I see it all the time in juniors and the effective tacklers get this, problem is that kids get intimidated by the big units until they work out that they can stop them.

 

[Bledisloe]

sent an email off to the Aust schools rugby union association the other day asking who is responsible for checking up on kids that are clearly outside the guidelines and received the response back saying all the information has been sent out to the schools for them to judge themselves....well we all know where that will end up don't we!

 

[southsider]

sent an email off to the Aust schools rugby union association the other day asking who is responsible for checking up on kids that are clearly outside the guidelines and received the response back saying all the information has been sent out to the schools for them to judge themselves..well we all know where that will end up don't we!

What grade were these u14’s you were watching out of curiosity? A’s? B’s? Something lower?

 

[Bledisloe]

14 A

 

[southsider]

14 A

Tbh I’d probably consider most private school A grade competitions for the most part the same level as junior reps, where apparently these rules don’t apply