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Original poster

Is there a rugby mums chat?

335 replies

YesitsBess · 28/08/2023 19:28

I've looked in sport, and as it's the start of the season I'd love to congratulate/commiserate/complain about the quality of the coffee?

Anyone else with a rugby kid?

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 03/03/2024 15:51

After a night of back and forth over whether the pitch was playable they had a game. DD continuing to improve... which is good as she had a real wobble last week as she doesn't like playing with the boys now.... not helped by last week one of them being taller than me!

She's just ready for Girls rugby now.

dinnermoneyready · 03/03/2024 16:28

We haven’t had a game for ages - so much rain. Was supposed to be away this week, then home then cancelled this morning 😭

Duckduckloose · 03/03/2024 18:42

Cancelled again this morning.
Managed to get a match last week in a slight break in the weather.
A couple of weeks ago they played away on a 4G pitch which was great! Much faster paced game which suited DS well but quite a few on his team were shattered!

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Setyoufree · 03/03/2024 20:17

PuttingDownRoots · 03/03/2024 15:51

After a night of back and forth over whether the pitch was playable they had a game. DD continuing to improve... which is good as she had a real wobble last week as she doesn't like playing with the boys now.... not helped by last week one of them being taller than me!

She's just ready for Girls rugby now.

Mine is starting to transition over to girls rugby too. She's started training with a lovely local girls team during the week but hasn't played any matches with them yet as it's normally Sunday afternoon and she's shattered after already playing for her mixed team on Sunday morning. Some of the boys on the other team were absolutely huge this morning though 😬

PuttingDownRoots · 03/03/2024 20:23

@Setyoufree her dad is the U14s girls coach and he takes her to training when its suitable. And she's going to U11 tournament in a few weeks.

It is the size of some of the boys now. But some of the boys feel the same, there's such a big range in sizes now!

Sparehair · 07/03/2024 13:12

A few boys have dropped out of DS's U13 team this season - I think the step change in physicality just got too much. Suspect this will be DS's last season for club rugby- he'll just carry on at school. He's tall but skinny.

DD found the transition to girls from mixed tough but honestly I think it's the right age and she has met some great new friends and enjoying it now. U12 round here is just a bit thin.

Setyoufree · 08/03/2024 11:08

That's interesting @Sparehair - what did she find challenging about the transition (so I can look out for it)?

Sparehair · 08/03/2024 13:35

Mainly that it was a step backwards. I think the big difference between boys’ and girls’ rugby is that there are relatively few “new” boy players coming in at U12/13/14 so it doesn’t impact the overall standard whereas for girls there are loads of new players, which is necessary to build the squads but can be frustrating when a girl has been playing mixed for 6 years and then suddenly she’s in with people who don’t know how to tackle or ruck.

I told her to make the most of it because when these new girls start coming in at UI14/16 who look like Fury the Gladiator she won t be Top Dog anymore 🤣

PuttingDownRoots · 14/04/2024 20:05

DD played in her first Girls match today. Her summary... "it was better without the sexist idiots". 😂
But harder not knowing her team mates beforehand.

KyliesPencilCollection · 14/04/2024 20:27

Nearly the end of the season! One more game then TOUR!

HurricanesPoua · 15/04/2024 08:35

The season is just starting here in NZ- but my 14 year old injured herself playing in a preseason tournament- cast is off this week! She and her brother have kicked conversions in previous seasons so still able to do some of that.

Big changes for our family this season- the 16 year old is no longer young enough for weight restricted rugby so is playing 1st xv for school. He likes open side flanker but is probably going to have to do a season in the backs as he is still not very big!

The 14 year old is going to have a big season as she can play both u15 and u18. Possibly for different schools if her own school can get an u15 team together. Last season she played for a different school in an u18 match and the opposite team had a y13 student who went on to get a Black Ferns 7s contract this year, which was a bit mind boggling!

KyliesPencilCollection · 15/04/2024 09:37

Wow @HurricanesPoua your kids sound brilliant! My daughter plays for two clubs U16s, and County U16s. She's hoping to do the elite training at our local college (ties to a premiership club) what she finishes school.

Obviously that would be amazing but her knees are already giving her problems.
There's quire a bit of research going on at the mo about females and their knees in rugby.

Sparehair · 15/04/2024 10:06

Yep- almost the end although DS's squad train through the summer. DS has to dial it back though as he's got cricket now (if the pitches ever dry out). As suspected he will finish club rugby this year and just play at school as his new school has games 5 x a week plus Saturday school/ matches so it's just too much to do club as well.

DD finishes end of April and then moves up to U14 next season which she's excited about. I have to eat my last comment on this thread as the last U12 girls tournament I went to was a huge step up in standard from the start of the season- the new girls have picked it up v v quickly.

HurricanesPoua · 03/05/2024 10:42

Omg! My 14 year old DD was just a ball girl for the Hurricanes vs Waratahs Super Rugby match. Before the game Jordie Barrett was practising conversions and he offered her to kick off his tee from the 22 and she got it over!

lostinabook · 11/05/2024 21:16

HurricanesPoua · 03/05/2024 10:42

Omg! My 14 year old DD was just a ball girl for the Hurricanes vs Waratahs Super Rugby match. Before the game Jordie Barrett was practising conversions and he offered her to kick off his tee from the 22 and she got it over!

Wow!

HurricanesPoua · 13/06/2024 02:10

The season is well underway here in NZ. DS has made a surprising move from 7 to #10 and is enjoying it more that I ever thought he would. He just trialled for u16 provincial team but he is unlikely to be picked for a number of reasons:( Proud of him for giving it a go anyway:)

DD has moved from #10 to #9 as she is not getting any bigger! Her team is not having the best season results wise but she is really enjoying herself and making friends (nearly all the other girls go to the same school and she is the only girl from her school). She's also getting some good practice at tricky conversions as her teammates don't always run around the back of the post when they could:)

HurricanesPoua · 25/08/2024 01:44

Hope everyone is looking forward to a new season! Our school season is over now- DS team made the semis for his grade but lost on the last play:( DD team made the u18 division 1 finals but lost to a very strong opponent (but by less than they lost last season).

DS didn't make the u16 reps, but DD got pulled from the u16 rep trials to play for the u18 Provincial B team- she's so pleased!

Weepingwillows12 · 25/08/2024 07:54

Just spent a fortune on new boots, new kit etc but am looking forward to the new season.

PuttingDownRoots · 25/08/2024 08:01

Weve had Sign On day and kit reveal. DD is extremely excited about her first season in Girls instead of mixed! The club is also excited to be starting the season with 3 U12 girls! And for the first time... they have a full U18 team for girls without combining (although its looking like the U16s are having to do a 3 way partnership this year)

Sparehair · 25/08/2024 09:29

Dd is moving up to U14 and excited about playing in position (9) for the first time. Training starts next week. Ds has quit club rugby. He will still play at school ( 2 terms, pretty much every day and Saturday matches) but now that he has Saturday school, club commitment would be a lot on top given that he’s only really a social player.

Setyoufree · 25/08/2024 15:08

DD joining the U12s girls team officially this season - she's been training with them a bit informally for the last bit of the last season while she saw the season out with her mixed team. A lot of the U12s have moved to U14s this season so not sure they've got enough for a team 😬 will keep everything crossed once the season starts

Potterbore · 25/08/2024 18:48

Rugby season starts for DS in the U8s team on 8th September. He turns 8 the day before. He's matured a lot over the summer and is really looking forward to the new season.

My DH passed his driving test on Monday so I no longer have to be the driver to all the away games and festivals 😁

Sparehair · 26/08/2024 09:31

Setyoufree · 25/08/2024 15:08

DD joining the U12s girls team officially this season - she's been training with them a bit informally for the last bit of the last season while she saw the season out with her mixed team. A lot of the U12s have moved to U14s this season so not sure they've got enough for a team 😬 will keep everything crossed once the season starts

U12 can be a bit thin- I’m not sure if it’s a national format but Hampshire has “pitch up and play” tournaments where all the clubs bring the girls they have and they combine to create teams- it’s good at keeping the girls from smaller clubs in the game and they all get to know the girls from other clubs a bit better too.

Setyoufree · 26/08/2024 11:40

Yeah I've just had a look at the fixture list and there's lots of those - we're in Hertfordshire so it must be a national thing. It's a real shame though as they won't get that feeling of bonding as a team 😔 we'll have to just watch and wait I think. I really don't want her to have to join the massive club here, I don't like their attitude.

Sparehair · 26/08/2024 12:14

@Setyoufree i felt the same but honestly it takes all the stress out of “will we have enough for a team?” every week. Even if only, say, 3 girls want to go they can still go and just get slotted into other teams, who I’ve found to be really welcoming. Round here we have 2 clubs that could consistently get a full team out and all the others are either borderline or too small, but by just being able to keep going, they have got bigger over the course of the year. Also if they are a strong/ experienced player in an inexperienced/ weak team they’re not getting trounced every week and getting demoralised. I found dd still bonded with the girls though training.