Anyone know about age grade rules in rugby?

[Justkeepsledging]

We're not based in England so clubs here aren't subject to RFU rules. There are local rugby rules but they are pretty much back of a fag packet from what I can find online. I'm therefore trying to evaluate practice against what would be the case in England as I have some safety concerns.

My son's rugby club is small and doesn't have enough numbers to field separate U9 and U10 teams so their fielding a combined team as an U10 team. My concern is that the U9s (who only started contact rugby a month ago) are therefore playing up a year. My reading of the RFU rules is that the combination would be allowed but the kids should be playing U9 competitively not U10 (ie the U10s should play down not the U9s play up). Is that right?

I have an U9 in the team and trying to decide if he should play competitions this year - he's ok at rugby but no superstar and isn't particularly big. There is no way anyone would suggest he played up if it wasn't a combined team.

No other options for clubs that don't involve a two hour commute each way or we'd go to another club where he can play U9.

Any thoughts appreciated!

I don't know the regulations but have a child who has just moved to u10 and would say that unless you're child is particular large or talented, I'd find another club where he can get his first taste of contact with his peers before progressing to the next steps. Having just been to our first tournament last week I would say there's a big difference between U9 & u10 rugby.

I'm not in the UK either, but here all the kids are in 2-year bands. The club has U6, U8, U10, U12, U14, U16 and U18 teams. They then go and join the senior side.

I would say the difference at U9-U10 is probably far less that it can be in the older age groups (where it can sometimes be boys playing against men).

For what it's worth, our club's current U16 and U18 teams are the same size.

Also, size isn't everything in rugby you know. Being small can be an advantage.

We’re in US and our club does it by school grade, but all age cut off. So my 10yo started in the g3/4 team even though he was gr5. There would have been some 9yo in the team and they started tackling. At comps they decided between the two teams if they would play tackle or touch in the day.

We also have weight here, as he is under 70lbs at 11, I can apply to keep him in gr3/4. But he doesn’t want to play this year anyway.

Who will they be playing against if other clubs are all 2 hours away? You may find the other teams will be in the same boat, and whether they call it U9s or U10s might be a moot point. We have no U10s cricket at all in our county - at least at our team's level. All the Y5s go straight from U9s to U11s. U10s does exist in other parts of the country, and maybe in elite groups(?) but I know my "U10" will be playing against mixed sides in all his matches.

We are in Wales and players are allowed to play one year up. I guess it depends on the size of your DC and when their birthday is (my DS was born end of August, so always the youngest player on the field - playing his own year group was enough of a challenge!)

Thanks everyone. Matches and tournaments are all around two hours ish away (unless we're playing at home!). We're in the Middle East and there won't be many other teams that have to play combined U9 and U10 (the more popular have A, B and C squads, some possibly more). Closest club to us is probably more like 1h20 but has a reputation for being super competitive and I'm not sure whether DS would even make their U9 C team.

It's not just about size, it's also playing against kids who have been playing contact for a year more and also playing the U10 rules not the U9 ones.

I think I'll play it by ear. So far he's not making the team anyway but there is talk of a B team and that's what's concerning me.

I have too much time on my hands today and therefore have been studying the RFU regs and I think I now understand. This is a grouping rather than playing up or down. Groupings of U9 and U10 are allowed but (in England) they would be playing the U9 rules and at least half the squad should be U9. Presumably this means they'd be playing in the U9 league not the U10 league as otherwise all the straight U10s would have to play U9 rules.