girls and boys
- Thread starter jynxy
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Dixie what age were you playing on the wing for Esher ? :biggrin:
didds
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so in england you would say that girls and boys can;t play at U9? (ignoring for now STG pilot)
In England, girls and boys can play in mixed teams in contact rugby until (and including) U12. In club rugby anyway. God knows what schools do.
Tag/Touch may well permit older ages, but TBH I've never heard of mixed tag/touch after year 6 (not that that means it doesn't occur of course) aside form adult mixed touch leagues.
No idea about other jurisdictions.
cheers
didds
ckuxmann
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The USA has a policy of no combination of contact rugby.
colesy
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According to this http://www.rfu.com/TakingPart/V1Play_DO_NOT_USE/WomenGirls.aspx girls can play in a mixed team up to U12.
Dixie
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Cheek!
In England, mixed teams are permitted until the end of midi rugby at U.12. Thereafter, the age groups segregate at U.13. Cody, I've refereed many teams where the girl (occasionally the captain) was the best U.12 player. Once, after a hard tour in the West Country at U.11, we came home by way of (I think) Basingstoke to get in one last game. They had a female outside centre who was outstanding - she clattered our guys who had the temerity to take her on, and she had the pace and guile to rip their defence to shreds. In part, this was because they were treating her differently to how they would treat a boy in the same position, but in the larger part it was that she was just darned good!
Before puberty kicks in, there's very little difference in physical sporting capability between the genders. The RFU have got this exactly right in my book - they just need to work VERY much harder to get enough girls into the game to make viable U.13 teams.
U15, no issue at all. U17, the (ahem) bigger girls may not be able to compete well in their preferred positions in a mixed team, but that should not be a reason to reject them out of hand.
Once 17 though, they are likely better off playing for ladies teams than trying to stay "one of the boys". If only for the male players' sakes!
Once 17 though, they are likely better off playing for ladies teams than trying to stay "one of the boys". If only for the male players' sakes!
In Scotland it is nearly the same in the primary school age grade can be mixed teams and what is the equivalent of U13 is when there is segregation. Dixie gets it right, especially about the hard work required to get numbers for girls teams. In Scotland they are U15 for girls, so playing with 3 year groups, and then U18 again with 3 year groups. I, and a few dads I have spoken to, believe that this makes it hard on U13 girls who have to play with up to U15 girls and feel that there should be a bit more flexibility so that girls at U13 could continue to play alongside U13 boys.