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Question

Jonathan Davies MBE, What can be done about the falling number of children in schools affecting Mini Rugby in Wales? In our club we have an U12 team who will be the last full year. Our U9's have 6 boys, and that represents all the boys in their year at school. We have some girls who play and who are good, but at U12 they have to split, and the Boys must have 15 in their side. This is not going to happen as there are not 15 boys in our team. Trying to merge teams with nearby clubs is not working due to the comitteeism mentality. How would you approach this difficult problem, when it appears to me that we simply have too many clubs in Wales to survive.
Asked by ChrisScumV on Dec 03 2007 10:30:14 AM and supported by 19 members
19

Answer

I think it’s a massive issue. Maybe the Welsh Assembly and the Welsh Rugby Union have got to take it back to the schools. I think there’s got to be an initiative that teachers should be helped, more with PE in school and I think that’s vitally important. I think it’s very difficult if that’s the case and they can’t play. Surely the neighbouring village or school should see this and allow the kids to play. It’s just ridiculous just because you haven’t got enough boys in your school. It’s ridiculous. We played a lot of seven-a-side when I was a kid, which really enhanced our skills. But I do feel the WRU will have to look at it, take it back to the schools. You’ve got a captive audience but you also need the WRU to help school teachers and also you can’t knock volunteers in the club scene. But we need more money, more resources in the Performance Unit. Simple as that. They’re doing as well as they possibly can but they just haven’t got the resources. MORE!

HeadShrinker at Dec 06 2007 12:00:00 AM : Is this something the assembly can get involved in? Raising the profile of our national game in school and offering incentives for those that take part. Given kids the option of rugby is a start, how many schools don't even have rugby on the curriculum any more?

ChrisScumV at Dec 06 2007 12:00:00 AM : There are initiativesin schools. Neath RFC for example in association with various bodes have the priomestart system http://primestart.neathrugby.co.uk/ this encourages healthy lifestyle and also by default for people to take exercise (rugby). The main issues though are the fact that in the heartlands of Welsh rugby, the population rate is slowing and many clubs simply do not have enough kids involved. I think it is going to mean the WRU taking a look not so much at how they can encourage kids to play (in our case we have them all playing), but how to handle better the fact that many clubs lose their young players when they get to junior age as they can not field a 15 a side team!

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