Should giant held-back-a-year child be allowed to play rugby out of year group?

[Onthetrain75]

There is a child in my son’s year 7 who would technically be a year 8 but has been held back for academic reasons. He’s a sturdy big child, I would say around 5ft 6 and 10 stone.

He’s a keen rugby player and is playing down a year to be with his class mates. But I’ve heard rumblings from other schools that parents aren’t happy he is playing under 12s when he should be under 13. Mostly I think they are concerned about safety of the other kids though I think they probably would also prefer the scores if he didn’t play.

I don’t know whether to say anything to his mum about the bad feeling that I know this is causing. What do you think?

YANBU - let him play with his mates
YABU - given his size and age he should be playing under 13s.

Thing is of you seperate by weight and height, what happens when they get to 18+. Men's teams are all varieties. I don't think I'd like to experience my first full blown tackle by a jugganaut of a man at 18. Best get them sorta used to it at about 13+ where they get a mix and experience of "the big lad". You have to sorta learn to take the knocks.

Personally I don't think Rugby should be in PE as some PE teachers are useless at coaching it. Where as a decent rugby coach can mitigate and teach correctly. Too many poor tackles in school rugby. Let them play rounders or football something non contact, as you are only making them run about for 40minutes not coaching a sport.

I don’t know if you know much about rugby but this happens a lot and will happen the whole way through.

This is definitely not allowed and is one of the considerations parents are asked to think about for the future when requesting a delayed start in reception.

@Gwrach

Thing is of you seperate by weight and height, what happens when they get to 18+. Men's teams are all varieties. I don't think I'd like to experience my first full blown tackle by a jugganaut of a man at 18. Best get them sorta used to it at about 13+ where they get a mix and experience of "the big lad". You have to sorta learn to take the knocks.

Personally I don't think Rugby should be in PE as some PE teachers are useless at coaching it. Where as a decent rugby coach can mitigate and teach correctly. Too many poor tackles in school rugby. Let them play rounders or football something non contact, as you are only making them run about for 40minutes not coaching a sport.

I'm not completely up with the ins and outs of how adult rugby works in NZ, where they do separate junior players by height and weight, but what I do know is that my brother coaches an amateur team that's under 85kg.

@Gwrach why should anyone "learn to take the knocks". Rugby is unfortunately compulsory in many schools, why should a smaller child risk broken bones to play a sport they may never want to play as an adult? Maybe if they were pitched against opponents of a similar build they could actually learn to play and enjoy the game rather than being creamed?

@TeenMinusTests

'Held back for academic reasons' is unusual in the state system, unless he is an August born and was permitted to defer back in Reception.

Very unusual in England but not unheard of. Other countries are also available.

That being said, don't say a word to his mum OP. Any concerns you have should go to the school not her.

What difference would it make really? Hardly any imo. There's like a year age difference. He sounds like a sturdy lad and I'm certain he'd still be deemed sturdy even in the next group up! Can't see the issue with being in the under 12's here!

There is a child who plays in my son's football team, who is technically not in the age group (should be playing for year above). But he can do so because he has SEN. There is something in the rules that allows you to play for year below if there is a special need so I wouldn't say anything.

@12548ehe9fnfobms

There is an RFU process for the club and the school to follow for exactly this scenario and it is allowed. All coaches are aware of this & will have followed it due to the impact on insurance. What other parents think is irrelevant. If you have an issue, take it up with the RFU.

Holding a child back a year is common place in private schools if they are July or August born, I know of several. They also play down for school and club rugby.

This.

My close friend has an August born son and he had entry to school deferred. He has an official exemption to be able to play rugby at an affiliated club with his school friends/peers rather than in his correct age group. It is allowed.

Of course you don't take it up with anyone and especially not the mum. Unless you are directly involved and have safety concerns in which case you report the concerns and leave it to the coaches.

Unusual but not unheard of . I’m a teacher.

One of my children is loads taller than everyone in his class. Hardly anything he can do about it. Should be also be excluded from all sports ?

There will be year 7s of that size too (and probably taller). Presuming it’s not a tiny school the sensible thing would be to separate them out into teams according to size so the smallest aren’t with the biggest.

Wonder what my 5’7 11yo Should do..go in with the bigger kids?

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

It is a tricky one because the sizes do vary so much. I personally think that with rugby it should be done more like boxing by weight rather than age. Rugby is so physical and the size of the players matters so much. Some kids are tiny at that age and some are giant. They should have a weight range with some overlap (about a years growth) so that they don't have to move teams all the time. I think age is wrong and it should definitely be weight. Or even a combination of weight and height.

@Explosivefarts no one is talking about all sports, they are talking about contact sports. And if size and strength are no issue then why do we separate by sex? Why have weight classes in boxing?

In NZ amongst other places children are sorted into height and weight classes for rugby. And they seem to manage ok and the risk of serious injuries are decreased.

[quote Porcupineintherough]@Gwrach why should anyone "learn to take the knocks". Rugby is unfortunately compulsory in many schools, why should a smaller child risk broken bones to play a sport they may never want to play as an adult? Maybe if they were pitched against opponents of a similar build they could actually learn to play and enjoy the game rather than being creamed?[/quote]
You can withdraw your child from Rugby (well you can in Wales) many parents do, especially if their child is playing rugby for a team as they are concerned about poor tackles and injuries. As I stated, I firmly believe it shouldn't be played in school due to poor coaching.

But anyway, you can't do by size and weight in school, year 7, 8 and 9 will have PE at different scheduling times. That would be a nightmare of a timetable to get the kids to match PE times by size and weight.

Just scrap Rugby from it. Football, baseball, basketball, athletics all have the desired effect kids running around for 40minutes.

I have googled the rules relating to age grade rugby. They say:

U9s to U19s (inclusive) can only train and play down one age grade in exceptional circumstances (and subject to competition rules) if:

(a) the player is in a younger academic year at school than the player’s
academic birth year; or
(b) the player’s safety may be compromised due to their small stature in
comparison to other players in the same age grade or due to a
developmental or behavioural issue:

It baffles me why the OP thinks it might be in order to get involved here, (especially as any perceived advantage is to her son's team), but a simple Google would have clarified the matter. Option A applies.

We have similar situation in our school. Plays for U13’s , isn’t U13. Is academically behind but not physically.

[quote Porcupineintherough]@Explosivefarts no one is talking about all sports, they are talking about contact sports. And if size and strength are no issue then why do we separate by sex? Why have weight classes in boxing?

In NZ amongst other places children are sorted into height and weight classes for rugby. And they seem to manage ok and the risk of serious injuries are decreased.[/quote]
Last time I checked there was no boxing in schools . We are talking about school rugby here. Who do you propose weights the kids and takes their height? How often weekly monthly?

Well similar to Gwrach I dont think there is a place for contact sports in schools. So the question wouldnt arise. What I dont think is ok is for it to be played unsafely because it's easier than taking steps to make it safer.

@Barbie222

Is he 12, or 13? That would seem to be the deciding factor on whether you play in an under -12s match.

It doesn't work like that, players don't change teams when they have a birthday. It means U12 on the set date, whatever that is and you stick in that team.

It's wrong to allow children who are too old to be in the team, that's just the way youth teams work. This would have been raised as an issue at any team my DC have been involved with.

So glad I don't have to deal with this schoolyard bullshit anymore. Poor lad.

He’s too old. Should play for his correct age group, otherwise it’s not fair, size should not come into it.

Clubs, and school teams ... he should be with the appropriate age group, not year group. It is a safety issue at those ages.

Giant as in Hagrid-sized, BFG-sized, Game of Thrones-sized or full-blown Jack and the Beanstalk Giant-sized?