Any of you got boys who play rugby ( young boys though, not strapping 17 yr olds)

[tiredemma]

ds1 ( age 5) is starting rugby on sunday, he is too young to compete in matches, but can train up until 6th bday and then compete. He has been going to football training for the past few months but has been wanting to do rugby for about 14 mths.

Do any of you have young sons who play? how do they /( and you!) cope with it? am i going to have a little boy with cauliflour ears and a busted nose?

im keen for him to play. dp played rugby to a high level so he is also keen but i dont want the game to be "too much" for him IYKWIM.

thanks

no-one?

I have a friend whose 5 yr old has been doing the kind of rubgy you're talking about for the last few months. He has an older bro of 13 so they both go to training together at the local club. Rugby for the little ones (up to 12 I think) is touch rugby - ie no tackling, it's more like a very physical game of it. So no, he's no more likely to get a busted nose and ears than he is in any game of running around. Once they get older, that's when you have to worry! We're going to take ds along to his friend's club at some point this term to see what he thinks of it - I love rugby and was raised on it, but am aware of the physical injuries that can come much later on. At this age tho, I think it's great to learn something physical and team-orientated.

My ds aged 6 and 10 play. The younger plays tag rugby (really just a big game of chase) and the elder one has just started contact rugby. They are both miles away from proper, full-on rugby so I don't worry at all.

They both love it far more than footie though.

He will get very, very muddy though!

Surely this is tag or mini-rugby though te?
Our godson does mini-rugby (he's nearly 8 but lives miles away so we've never seen him play), but it is very, very carefully organised to keep them all from the riskier moves in grown-up rugby.
I am guessing dp has chosen the venue and the coach with careful insider knowledge?
I will be quite honest and say I am very glad ds has shown no interest in it other than the mixed-gender tag rugby played in school games sessions. But we don't have the family link!

thanks for replying, its the physical injuries later on that scare me also. We love the game in our house and tbh im so pleased that he has shown a massive interest in it. ill let you know hoe it goes!!

yes, sorry- its the tag rugby.

dp and i have both been in contact with the coach, they said that they will assess him first to see how he copes with the running around etc.

If he gets really into it, injuries later on will depend a lot on the position he plays and his physical type. Big bruisers (2nd Row) are usually the ones with cauliflower ears as they are the backbone of the scrum and so get squished a lot (my dad was one of these). I went out with a full back for long time who seemed to escape injury entirely as he spent a lot of time running around on the fringes of the game. Maybe that was just his team! I guess I feel that if ds1 and ds2 turn out to be rugger buggers, then at least it's less likely that would get into fast cars or, god forbid, motorbikes. Can't stand the thought of my beautiful boys with black eyes every other Saturday, but better that than some of the things young bloked get into.

agree wilbur, want him to get into something interesting early so he doesnt find fun in hanging outside spar drinking white lightening.

the social side of it interests me aswell as they do loads with the families- also hoping dp may get interested in again and get rid of his beer belly!!!

cant see ds ever being one of the big rugged ones though! ( think more jonny wilkinson than martin johnson!)

Ds1 plays rugby at school - really enjoys it. No injuries yet though some very muddy tracksuits .

I think that he doesn't go onto studs etc until Y3 though (and then they need fitted mouthguards as well).

Rugby! Fantastic. DS1 plays for his school. He's 13. Only started when he was 11. He wishes he'd found it sooner.

To date.. no injuries and they are playing pretty much full on rugby. It's wonderful, between the training and the matches there's no time for hanging about anywhere. I love it! He loves it!

Who knew I'd become an enthusiast.

my ds(11) started playing rugby at high school and he loves it, he hasnt been injured at all.

Yes, you're right about rugby clubs and their social side. The one my friend goes to took the whole gang and any parents that wanted to go to a local panto this Xmas. Also gives kids a chance to meet kids from different schools etc. Maybe your dp could get into coaching if he doesn't want to play any more, tiredemma? I have a friend who has just stopped playing at 40 and is thinking of coaching the minis. or refereeing? My dad became a ref after he stopped playing at 45(!) as he couldn't bear to be off the pitch.

All 3 of my boys play rungby. It is an extraordinary game. Thgey jump on top of each other, they slide around hte mud. But thekids love it.

DS2 in particular is very comitted

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Ds started a couple of months ago at one of the Glasgow clubs - he's also 5. He can't play competitively until he is in Primary 4, ie about 8.

He's really enjoying it. They're not really playing games per se - it's more just running round and doing some ball passing exercises.

They do some tackling practice - but they are very strict about the "littlies" being touched very gently. They have even been practising with the tackle bags.

The rugby club recommeneds that even the Minis wear gumshields (although it is not compulsory) -so we have decided to wait until his first adult tooth comes in (dentist reckons about the end of the summer) and then get the gumshield made up for him.

Ds is also unlikley to be one of the forwards - he's more likley to be like his dad - a scrum half or maybe a wing. He's not going to be enormous - but he may be fast.

We're not worried about him becaseu we see the care that they take over safety and the discipline is really strong (another reason why we like the idea of rugby).

Haven't read whole thread so sorry if repeating but, yes, my 5 year old plays every sunday. Loves it. they don't tackle at this age but rather play tag rugby. It's great for fitness, team awareness and sheer fun. You can always pull him out when it gets to the cauliflower ears stage (not sure when that is).
Highly recommended.

thanks you all so much for all of your really interesting comments.

its great to see how popular it is. your comments have been really informative

ds is 7 and is playing touch rugby at school. He's not strong on motor skills so is finding catching while running a bit hard. Some of the other boys play with local clubs but the school do separate them into ability groups. He has to have a gum shield which cost us £35 for one fitted by the dentist and he'll need a new one each year. Apparently it is as much to guard against head injuries from a knock or fall as to protect the teeth themselves.

Even with the cost of the gumsheilds (dentist has quoted a simialr price - but also says you can buy DIY kits from sports shops - for about £145 - but that they tend to break as they aren't "formed" properly), it's still good value.

At our club it cost a whole £15 for the whole season for the little ones - and that covers insurance and everytihng (plus effectiely allowing the parents to partake of the cheap beer in the club house ). Once they're a wee bit older (prbably about 8, when they start being allowed to play games) it goes up a bit - either £20 or £25.

UPDATE dp took ds1 today, he loved it, got really involved.
DP said it was a great set up and everyone made them feel really welcome. they have invited us to go and watch the under 7's in an away game next week.

thanks for all of your comments and advice, it was really helpful and only re-affirmed my beliefs of what a great team game it is- (even with broken collar-bones etc!)