Year 7 contact rugby

[Verbena37]

Hi,
I realise there are other threads about the new rugby injury research but along with totally disagreeing with secondary school children being forced to play compulsory contact rugby, I have the added quandary about my DS going into year 7 at a new school and having recently been diagnosed with ASD.

I've spoken to him calmly and in a non-biased way (asking him what he thinks about playing contact rugby at his new school, what does he think the game involves etc) and without him even knowing mine and DHs opinions, he says he is really worried about playing it and says if anybody tries to tackle him, he will kill them or kill himself (saying stuff like that is his very regular way of expressing anxiety) and I explained it's PE and not the Hunger Games!

Whilst I realise that trying to change the whole school approach and trying to make them ban contact rugby until 16/18 doesn't seem very likely, I did wonder whether because of the ASD, and before I go in all guns blazing, they would happily let him swap to the other year half's PE timetable for whichever sport that is. Or should I ask the SENCO when I first meet with her after the Easter holidays?

Has anybody else got a similar issue with contact sports and children with ASD. DS cannot stand being grabbed or hugged by other people and prefers sports/exercise where it's non contact or a single person sport like rounders/running/table tennis etc.

Oops, wrote rounders in the wrong place.....obviously I meant team non contact for rounders.

I think you need to have the conversation with school based around the needs of your son. My son loves rugby, despite his difficulties, and I'm grateful he has the opportunity, so I don't share your views but do understand them.

My son has asd and is sensory seeking. He loves rugby and has been playing since age 5 and is now on school and local teams. So I think any conversation should be around his needs rather than his dx, as you may get batted back with 'lots of our kids have asd and play.'
However I have a similar dilemma in that my second ds had growth deficiency and is very small and will hit puberty late. I don't want him playing rugby at all. So I plan to talk to the school before he starts.

Thanks you both.
I'm going to compile a list (as suggested on another thread I posted this on) and take it when I speak to the senco after Easter hols.
As a friend was saying, it's also the fact that a lot of children in our town, play contact rugby at a weekend club so a lot children in the PE will all be well into the tackling aspect already. We don't believe this is fair and gives non rugby players a massive, and dangerous, disadvantage.

To be fair, it probably protects the non players. If you have a class where the majority have been training, they should be tackling safely.
So rather than 30 kids not doing it properly you will have lots of them safely tackling.

Hi
Ds2 isn't allowed to play contact rugby due to a medical condition. Don't want to say what as may out myself. Anyway before year 7 we supplied the school with a letter from thee consultant. Rugby was the main sport for boys in year 7 . They had a double period of rugby nd A single indoor pe.
All the boys who wanted to play for the school were expected to go to lunch time and after school rugby club. This was were most of the tackling was done. Reality was after the first few weeks teaching everyone the basics they were divided into 3 groups. A group were team and club rugby players. C group were the totally non sporty and the middle group which my DS was in was the rest. They mainly did drills and then a friendly match. Lack of contact wasn't really to much of an issue

Tha you. That's good to know.