I reffed a game last week U16, coach told me that there was special needs player on the wing as they were short numbers. I asked did I need to know anything else and said no,his law knowledge was poor and that offside would be his failing. I said that i would manage that but they risked Pens if it became material.
Game starts and its clear that this lad hasnt a scooby doo about rugby, cant /wont tackle kick pass. No tactical awareness or positional sense.
At one stage the opp no 5 goes tearing down his wing and thankfully the winger steps out of his way to let him straight in.
If the opp No5 was a total meathead and liked running over people as is their want at that age, the winger could have been badly hurt as he wasnt prepared at all for contact.
i spoke to the coach afterwards and said that it was an accident waiting to happen and that if I was a coach I wouldnt play him but it was said more as an observation as a parent than a referee.
So the question is, have we a duty of care to that specific player and could /should we asked to have him removed from the pitch.
Game starts and its clear that this lad hasnt a scooby doo about rugby, cant /wont tackle kick pass. No tactical awareness or positional sense.
At one stage the opp no 5 goes tearing down his wing and thankfully the winger steps out of his way to let him straight in.
If the opp No5 was a total meathead and liked running over people as is their want at that age, the winger could have been badly hurt as he wasnt prepared at all for contact.
i spoke to the coach afterwards and said that it was an accident waiting to happen and that if I was a coach I wouldnt play him but it was said more as an observation as a parent than a referee.
So the question is, have we a duty of care to that specific player and could /should we asked to have him removed from the pitch.