Weight/size grading - Australia attempt

[menace]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...-for-juniors-and-seniors-20180215-h0w4v1.html

Interesting to see how this actually is applied. AU/ARU is historically crap at providing and training experts (with no money) so I cant see how the assessment will actually work or be applied consistently. Other than that, as a father of a small kid I like the idea. I cringe when I see some of the man mountain 14yo he's expected to stop!

 

[crossref]

Much sympathy for the ARU as they try to address a very difficult problem

If you tell kids they can't play with their friends but must play with the year above, or the year below, I reckon many just won't play
It's a very difficult issue

 

[OB..]

Many years ago when I was living in Washington DC, the Peewee Beltway League for football had weight divisions. A scandal blew up because it turned out at least one coach was feeding the kids diuretics to keep their weight down.

 

[menace]

Well it worked for Shane Warne....

 

[menace]

Much sympathy for the ARU as they try to address a very difficult problem

If you tell kids they can't play with their friends but must play with the year above, or the year below, I reckon many just won't play
It's a very difficult issue

It is a tough problem. On the counter my older son gave up playing as #9 at 14 cause he kept getting runover by bearded trucks (ably assisted by poor coaching of forwards that didnt know their job). It wasnt fun for him to be trampled and injured every game and he wasn't going to cop the wrath if his team and just step aside without attempting something.
Fortunately he just concentrated on reffing instead....and is pretty handy for his age.

 

[crossref]

One system that I read about is that you keep to your age groups , but have two types of competition s .. open, and weight limited

So you would have
U14s (open)
U14s (60kg). (or whatever)

A club would play both types of games .. there might be local leagues, small kids who are good will play in both and get lots of Rugby!

I thought that sounded a clever solution , and if was the RFU i might trial that

 

[oldman]

Crossref you expect the rugby union to try something that sounds like it might work and keep players at grassroots level? That is wishful thinking or blind optimism.

 

[OB..]

Crossref you expect the rugby union to try something that sounds like it might work and keep players at grassroots level? That is wishful thinking or blind optimism.

You prefer world-weary cynicism? :biggrin:

 

[menace]

One system that I read about is that you keep to your age groups , but have two types of competition s .. open, and weight limited

So you would have
U14s (open)
U14s (60kg). (or whatever)

A club would play both types of games .. there might be local leagues, small kids who are good will play in both and get lots of Rugby!

I thought that sounded a clever solution , and if was the RFU i might trial that

We just don't have the numbers in Australia or out parts for that sort of comp split. With rugby, league, soccer and AFL there's just not enough bodies!

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Many years ago when I was living in Washington DC, the Peewee Beltway League for football had weight divisions. A scandal blew up because it turned out at least one coach was feeding the kids diuretics to keep their weight down.

That's just taking the piss!

 

[crossref]

We just don't have the numbers in Australia or out parts for that sort of comp split. With rugby, league, soccer and AFL there's just not enough bodies!

Yes , well in trying to solve this we are looking for the solution that attracts the most players.

I think the idea is that you have a squad of twenty boys at the club and the biggest 15 are playing in the open games, and the smaller 15 on the weight limited .. ie most are playing in both ,

So everyone gets to play in games that they are comfortable in

I think the answer is to try different systems in different areas, and see what works best

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Yes , well in trying to solve this we are looking for the solution that attracts the most players.

I think the idea is that you have a squad of twenty boys at the club and the biggest 15 are playing in the open games, and the smaller 15 on the weight limited .. ie most are playing in both ,

So everyone gets to play in games that they are comfortable in

I think the answer is to try different systems in different areas, and see what works best

You could of course have a squad of 20-25 who are all massive so your "lighter team" are still a lot bigger than their opponents.

From my experience I found kids who looked like Brian Blessed at 14 rarely lasted long once their testosterone induced "superiority" was overtaken by their peers' development. The less committed, precocious beardies were off drinking with married women and couldn't get up on a Sunday to cause havoc like they did at 12-13-14 years of age.

Talented, massive kids who stick with it tend to leave "proper Rugby" and end up at schools and in academies that can nurture their attributes and turn them into muscle bound, playing by numbers types leaving the proper game to be played by the rest of us.

None of this helps stop lighter built (or late developers) lads and lasses quitting because it is too much to cope with. If you're getting steamrollered every week at 14 being told to "just wait 'til this time next year" isn't going to help.

 

[crossref]

Yes, it's a complex issue , and no easy solutions

 

[Zebra1922]

This is so much a coaching problem. I've refereed many U16 and U18 games where the main point of attack was the big fella with a bit of speed who just barrelled through everyone. No sidestep, no thought of a pass, just run through the opposition, and encouraged by coaches. Yes it gets you the win at age level, buy you're not developing anyone, least of all the big player who will eventually run into people his size of bigger and not have the skills to deal with it.

There has to be a continued focus on youth coaches teaching the skills to play rugby, ball in hand, avoid the tackle rather than seek contact, continuity of play, not kicking the ball away, and sod it if you lose. Wishful thinking I know but wouldn't it be great?

 

[Jolly Roger]

Menace - thanks for the thread. I agree with your general principle. My son, 15, is relatively small for his size but is an aggressive 7 who manages to compensate with low body position. Not possible for all playing positions, we also don't have too many giant Scots! It was certainly very apparent at U12-U14.

Lee L-P - You make a valid point but at the expense of the "big fellow" who does not get to develop his / her skills as just batters up the pitch. Perhaps they might not be sticking with the game because their development has been compromised and so cannot play any other way, through no fault of their own. Everyone then loses out.

 

[TigerCraig]

We just don't have the numbers in Australia or out parts for that sort of comp split. With rugby, league, soccer and AFL there's just not enough bodies!

Getting worse. Was walking past my clubs ground (which we are not allowed to use yet) to see it covered by young blokes playing gridiron. Not mucking about but fully kitted up playing seriously. Chatted to a couple of them who looked like perfect locks or 8's. Asked why gridiron - "it's physical and you're still allowed to belt people" :frown:

 

[menace]

Maybe this system to help small kids that dont play or leave the game in the first place as well as develop big kids will bring them to rugby and leave the other contact sports that they feel they cant compete (league and afl)? Will be interesting to see what happens.