Does anyone have boys who play rugby?

[foxinsocks]

so ds has started playing rugby

but where do I find all the stuff he needs? He's U8s now so no contact but they've said he should have a gum guard (is boil and bite ok at his age and where do I get that?). And rugby boots are different to football (apparently) but how do you know which are which in the shops (I know I could ask but I want to make sure I am not sold a dummy - he has football boots already so I know what those are but didn't know there were different ones for rugby)?

I get to do the sport with them myself as dh not really around on the weekend and I 'get' football but have had nothing to do with rugby so am not sure

I think it's not the body armour that hurts players, per se, it's the way you can, as ABD says, use your body and your head in ways you couldn't before without hurting yourself so the game becomes rougher. Players these days don't have the respect for their body, and other people's, when tackling because they have so much protection and if you're not wearing it you're at a disadvantage. You do play differently - body armour lets you take more risks with your body and use more force against other players.

I know it's not exactly steel padding but it's still actually quite solid foam - DH2Bs is sort of built into his shirt (makes it a nightmare to wash) and it's not got a lot of give in it and that, apparently, is the 'light' protection. If someone pushes past a bit roughtly when wearing it then you definitely feel it and it really hurts if it catches the wrong part of you (like your head)! His AF stuff is scary - solid plastic which makes his already bulky shoulders about 2 inches wide either side and you can hit down with enough force to break a normal collarbone without him even bruising!

So yes, I agree with scrum caps, they are a good thing in terms of preventing concussion, but I regret that body armour has been allowed in. I'm not saying boys shouldn't wear it - if one player does then all players should - but for the reasons I've already given I think it's a bad thing and agree with ABD that's it's a backward step. However that's the way the game is now, increased injuries and all, so (sadly) it's necessary.

A Scrum hat is a good idea even at a young age. As I mentioned in my previous post - DS was concussed twice last year (knocked out & hospitalised once, and mild the second time). A few years ago at DS's school a boy (from a visiting school) had a serious brain injury from a knock on the head in a Senior Colts game.

A lot of DS's team mates have tried body armour but found it restrictive - they concentrate on fitness and body strength instead.

My DS is currently undergoing intensive physio (and due to have a surgical procedure) to correct damage caused by a dislocated shoulder whihc resulted from a dump tackle - body armour would not have prevented the injury.

foxinsocks my ds was 9. It was scary becasue although it was "only a concussion" (which is what I would have thought before this happened), it took a long time for him to get back to normal - his balance was off for awhile, he was clumsier and got more headaches . It has really made me think how easy it could be for him to get seriously injured.

oh that seems so young to have an injury like that purpleduck and your boy too drayford

it just all seems so unnecessary (playing sport that could injure your head that way)

dislocated shoulders are nasty because of the propensity to have it happen again once it's happened once

poor lads!

Oh so sorry to read about the Purpleduck's injury but foxinsocks i ld like to mentioned one more thing may be during game you may fall & lost your teeth too so also wear the Mouth-Guard while palying. i am using this www.night-guard.co.uk/ compnay Mouth-Guard while taking part in any game. :)
Retainers

know I'm late coming into this discussion but wanted to add my tuppenworth her. all 4 of my kids play rugby - my daughter at u11's my twins at u9's and my youngest at u7's - all to move up this coming season. 3 eldest ALL wear body armour and scrum caps and gum shields, youngest wears scrum cap and gum shield. my clubs policy is that if they start wearing protection young they will learn to wear it correctly - as in wear the body armour as you begin contact and you will learn how to hit correctly and not rely on the armour to protect you - I don't think any child can learn to rely on not getting hurt, it is up to the coaches ot teach them how to tackle and fall and how to keep themselves safe. yes rugby is a violent 'hands on' sport but believe me I'd rather be a spectator at a rugby game than at a football game! I'm proud that my kids play for a well respected in the are club, and that they respect their coaches and respect what they are taught. I really can't see how wearing protection can be a bad thing - we've had kids who have been hit and hit hard and they've run off to mum and not come back, all our kids wear body armour of some description so all have an equal feel for the his iyswim, no-one recommended it, we just all did it! surely the protection is there to keep the kids safe? isn't that what we all want?

Body armour and headguards are frowned upon because they are associated with Rugby League which is looked down upon by the 'amateur code.' They think it's a game for plebs and not played by 'people like them.'
Rant over.

has anyone else seen the post on Martins money saving expert site about the Lusum brand?? they are looking for teams to give feed back on their new balls!! they want players and teams to get in touch and then they will either give a free ball to try or a discount off the balls. I applied for my sons team and got a great ball back - I have to say I was impressed and so was his school team.

if anyone knows some one this could be useful tell them to get in touch they can email to [email protected] like I did or I think there is a number on www.lusum.co.uk I really hope this helps some one :-)

P.s this is for Rugby Balls - honestly teenage son pointing out HUGE omission there

My DS1 is winger and just bought armour. This is a padded undershirt. The padding looks like a honeycomb of small pads. He says that he must have it now since quite a number of others have it. We bought Ventilator Headgear to protect his head. It is like a skull cap with a mix of the small pads honeycombed over interspersed with air holes. DA1 refuses to wear it. Only scrums wear caps. He showed me images of prof rugby matches (no headgear) and schlby matches (same). Do others agree it would be better if all boys wore headgear? I have checked injuiries.

mrsMoose - DS1 plays flanker, and doesn't wear a cap. D2 plays hooker and he does.