In the news today

[ASMO]

Well apart from all the tory leadership bollocks, came across this.

Daily Telegraph – Schools urged to stop forcing pupils to play contact rugby (behind paywall)

Schools are facing calls for an end to compulsory contact rugby after new research found around three quarters of all boys in state schools are obliged to play the sport. A freedom of information request found that rugby was delivered in 81 per cent of state-funded secondary schools and, of those, it is compulsory for 91 per cent of boys and just over half of girls. This compares to 77 per cent of independent schools in which rugby is mandatory. This is despite growing evidence of the link between head impacts and dementia and a survey last year by the Drake Foundation which found that a majority of parents want tackling banned from under 18 downwards.

[GogLais]

Not surprising really.

[sockwithaticket]

Daily Telegraph – Schools urged to stop forcing pupils to play contact rugby (behind paywall)

Schools are facing calls for an end to compulsory contact rugby after new research found around three quarters of all boys in state schools are obliged to play the sport. A freedom of information request found that rugby was delivered in 81 per cent of state-funded secondary schools and, of those, it is compulsory for 91 per cent of boys and just over half of girls. This compares to 77 per cent of independent schools in which rugby is mandatory. This is despite growing evidence of the link between head impacts and dementia and a survey last year by the Drake Foundation which found that a majority of parents want tackling banned from under 18 downwards.

That surprises me, I'd be interested to know what they count to arrive at that stat. The school I taught at smack bang in the home counties with a fairly high number of middle class students, a spot you'd think would be ripe for rugby, only delivered touch in compulsory PE lessons, but did have a voluntary after school rugby club. The main difficulty with 'proper rugby' is timetabling, it's far easier to timetable a whole class to do a unisex activity than timetable two or more classes so that their PE coincides to enable the gender split that rugby at secondary level requires.

I actually agree that rugby shouldn't be compulsory in schools. It probably puts off as many as it brings to the sport.

[SaintK]

Daily Telegraph – Schools urged to stop forcing pupils to play contact rugby (behind paywall)

Schools are facing calls for an end to compulsory contact rugby after new research found around three quarters of all boys in state schools are obliged to play the sport. A freedom of information request found that rugby was delivered in 81 per cent of state-funded secondary schools and, of those, it is compulsory for 91 per cent of boys and just over half of girls. This compares to 77 per cent of independent schools in which rugby is mandatory. This is despite growing evidence of the link between head impacts and dementia and a survey last year by the Drake Foundation which found that a majority of parents want tackling banned from under 18 downwards.

That surprises me, I'd be interested to know what they count to arrive at that stat. The school I taught at smack bang in the home counties with a fairly high number of middle class students, a spot you'd think would be ripe for rugby, only delivered touch in compulsory PE lessons, but did have a voluntary after school rugby club. The main difficulty with 'proper rugby' is timetabling, it's far easier to timetable a whole class to do a unisex activity than timetable two or more classes so that their PE coincides to enable the gender split that rugby at secondary level requires.

I actually agree that rugby shouldn't be compulsory in schools. It probably puts off as many as it brings to the sport.

Only one senior school in the local council catchment area of my club actually plays rugby and even there it's not compulsory. The local independent school doersn't play either!!

[Paddington Bear]

Define playing rugby. At my grammar school you had to play probably 8 times a year from Year 7-9, in which if you didn't fancy it you stood on the wing and the rest of us got on with it. Standard was very friendly. Playing for the school team was entirely optional.

These calls have come before but unless and until the game we see on TV actually takes concussion seriously it isn't going to go away. With the way players are praised for sheer physicality and sticking their head into danger, I'm not 100% sold that I'd let any kids I may one day have play rugby.

[GogLais]

Define playing rugby. At my grammar school you had to play probably 8 times a year from Year 7-9, in which if you didn't fancy it you stood on the wing and the rest of us got on with it. Standard was very friendly. Playing for the school team was entirely optional.

These calls have come before but unless and until the game we see on TV actually takes concussion seriously it isn't going to go away. With the way players are praised for sheer physicality and sticking their head into danger, I'm not 100% sold that I'd let any kids I may one day have play rugby.

I was reading a report on the Aus Eng game and I think three players out of the starting thirty had to go off with possible concussion. Not a good image.