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.

@wewereliars

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

Children's safety when playing contact sports, whether or not you agree they should be played in school, is not bullshit. He should be playing in the correct age category and would not be permitted to play down in any RFU affiliated club.

There are 15 on a rugby team, surely an average size school could separate the year group out into sizes a bit? There isn’t a lot of variability in timetable prior to gcse and even then most schools have Large PE groups for ease. Or just don’t enforce rugby at all. I don’t think you can complain about the other child but you can certainly complain if you feel your child is unsafe

He’s not a giant at all.. so rude. I used to childmind for the most lovely gentle boy who was 6ft 2 in year 7. He was an incredible rugby player and ended up playing with the under 18s at 15 and then saracens by 18.

Everyone had an issue when he played his year group because they hated losing but would claim it was safety related (it wasn’t he’s a winger and fast but generally didn’t tackle much, other kids couldn’t catch him to tackle him but claimed they were scared too).

Shockingly no one had an issue when he played older kids at all.. leave it alone.

I would say weigh and measure them at the start of the rugby season so about September or August to allow for ordering kit and and allocate to a size team then. School rugby is only played until Christmas anyway. Club rugby they play right through until April I think but still not much over 6 months.

Trouble is it has to be a national change for school and club rugby (RFU governs both doesn't it?).

I think it will happen though because otherwise it will end up getting banned from schools entirely because there are so many injuries every week. A school near here got rid of it entirely after a death (quite a few years ago now that was though).

giant
This is a ridiculous, goady comment.

There has always been a vast variety in the heights and weights of the boys in the teams I have watched playing rugby at schools for over more than a decade.

My daughter is bigger than that in year 7 so I don't see how his age is relevant at all to be fair. All kids are different sizes even when they're the same age

One of my DCS is v v tall tracking for 6ft 8/10 - not his fault.

Should he play with his age group or the one he is the same size as .

So chronology if born on time and not the 8 wk sort of preemie he was makes him yr 8.
Born just ( bad timing by me) which puts him into Yr 9

Size related puts him in Yr 12/13.

He is 6ft 4 size 12 feet and weighs 70kgs.

Not his fault - he is not emotionally mature or heavier enough to pay with 18 yr olds.

He wants to play with his friends - just tough on those who have not hit puberty.

Poor kid - no one should have said anything, no ones business

It’s really irrelevant as to whether he should or should not be allowed to play as an U12. RFU rules are very clear on this - you can play up a year up, but not down. He cannot play as an U12 and as PP’s have suggested, if he injured a child the school is unlikely to be insured.

DS is in Y8 and plays both school and club rugby as an U13, he is a late August birthday, not yet hit puberty, one of the shortest and lightest in his team, he weighs 6st. He frequently plays against children almost a year older (Sept birthdays) a foot taller than him and a good couple of stone heavier. I’m not overly concerned as he is very good, well trained (having played since he was 2), knows how to tackle and more importantly, how to fall. He plays on the wing as he is also the fastest in his squad given he sprints at county level. However, I would not be knowingly allowing him to play against a child who should be in Y9 so could be almost 2 years older. I do agree though that if parents are concerned, it needs to be raised with the school/coach not through gossiping in the playground.

Nothing to do with you.

This is a club matter.

If in England the boy can play down a year under certain conditions. Being in a younger academic yr than his birth year is one of the criteria.

Should he play with his age group or the one he is the same size as

If he is in the U.K, with his age group (based on his birthday, not his due date). It's quite straightforward

Sorry not a club matter as you refer to school.

Still it's a school matter abs nothing to do with you op.

29th of bloody august poor sod.
Having said that if he was in yr8 right now there would be more whinging!

Roll on puberty in his mates !

I've heard rumblings from other schools that parents aren't happy
Have you? How have you heard this and how do they know his age?

I don't know whether to say anything to his mum about the bad feeling that I know this is causing
No, you should not. If you have an issue with it, talk directly to school - but you would be that parent.

@SoupDragon

Should he play with his age group or the one he is the same size as

If he is in the U.K, with his age group (based on his birthday, not his due date). It's quite straightforward

Not necessarily rules vary over the UK

@edwinbear it is allowed. I don't know why people keep saying it isn't. It is allowed by RFU in certain circumstances. Someone screen shotted it. See below:

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:

@Lessofallthisunpleasantness

Agree.

lots of people on her second guessing the rugby's governing body and making it up !

It’s not your place to say anything to the mother. However, rugby is a contact sport so there is a huge safety issue here. It sounds like it’s within the rules for him to play though so coaches aren’t going to do anything. Underage rugby should be all based on weight/height to protect the smaller kids who haven’t hit puberty from the bigger stronger kids who have.

@edwinbear

It’s really irrelevant as to whether he should or should not be allowed to play as an U12. RFU rules are very clear on this - you can play up a year up, but not down. He cannot play as an U12 and as PP’s have suggested, if he injured a child the school is unlikely to be insured.

DS is in Y8 and plays both school and club rugby as an U13, he is a late August birthday, not yet hit puberty, one of the shortest and lightest in his team, he weighs 6st. He frequently plays against children almost a year older (Sept birthdays) a foot taller than him and a good couple of stone heavier. I’m not overly concerned as he is very good, well trained (having played since he was 2), knows how to tackle and more importantly, how to fall. He plays on the wing as he is also the fastest in his squad given he sprints at county level. However, I would not be knowingly allowing him to play against a child who should be in Y9 so could be almost 2 years older. I do agree though that if parents are concerned, it needs to be raised with the school/coach not through gossiping in the playground.

You can play down a year according to RFU regulations. However, as a PP has said there is a process to follow by either the school and/or club to apply for dispensation. This may involve an assessment by someone at regional level to ensure that there isn't a safety risk to other players.

Unless you are professionally involved as a coach or teacher or it is affecting your child you say nothing.

If it's for a club rfu rules would forbid him playing down a year. Not sure about school rules

@Mermaidpool

Rubbish. You can play down a year in certain circumstances. Sometimes 2 yrs !

Take a look at RFU Regulation 15

I am well aware of regulations thank you @TobysGreatAunt if you read it says only when safety is compromised by small stature. The op has already said he is larger than average so it doesn't apply

Read it again @Mermaidpool

The child should be yr 8 but he's in yr 7 so therefore can play with yr 7