Don't Lose Sight of the Benefits of Rugby
The dangers of school rugby are in the news again. Influential medics and academics think the tackle is too dangerous for children. The game is under unprecedented pressure.
However, the fact that there are risks associated with playing rugby is not news. Schools have always recognised this, and concern has never been greater. Most rugby playing schools now have industry leading medical provision surrounding the game, and give considerable attention to injury prevention. The RFU has responded to the growing awareness of the dangers of concussion with guidance and training that is more rigorous than ever.
It is possible that the game could be made safer by some amendments to existing laws, and further dispensations for the youth game. This is being investigated based on scientific, evidence based research, not anecdotal opinion. The proposal that the youth game would be safer if tackling was outlawed above the waist is highly questionable, putting heads closer to knees and boots for the badly timed tackle. Also, there are levels of the game where the scraggy, shirt-grabbing tackle is the staple defensive mechanism and it is difficult to imagine this type of game without it. Certainly, if players were prevented from entering the tackle situation with shoulders below hips, then the "jackal" technique would disappear, which is arguably the most dangerous dimension for youth players without strong shoulders and necks. But reducing injury is only part of the picture, and one where the success rate will never be 100%. It is, however, the entire focus of the game's critics.
Schools, on the other hand, have always believed that the benefits of participation in Rugby - and other potentially hazardous games and activities - have outweighed the risks. This continues to be the case. In an era where children's mental health has never been a greater concern, and when the government is concerned to promote the growth of "character education", Rugby is a game that has the capacity to have a positive influence on emotional intelligence and the development of desirable personal qualities. These include courage, determination and empathy. The sector needs to mobilise itself to put some science behind these, and other, claims, and find ways of assessing and promoting the benefits of teamwork and impulse control. It doesn't help the cause when wild, emotive and unsubstantiated claims for the game, such as "developing masculinity" appear in the press from Rugby's supposed advocates.
Rugby is not a game for everyone. It never has been. This is now more readily recognised by the introduction of programme choice and non-contact forms of the game for some pupils. However, physical contact is the essential fabric of the game for most players, and this unique feature is at the heart of its appeal. It is also integral in promoting personal development. It's difficult to learn courage from removing a Tag.
At a time when the pacifist anti-rugby lobby has mobilised itself, the challenge for the game is not to deny the dangers, but to articulate the benefits. It must optimise player welfare, but ensure that the possible value of the game impacts on all participants. The potential of Rugby to enhance lives and develop people has never been greater. But it isn't inevitable. The quality of delivery determines whether the experience is a positive one, and whether its impacts go beyond the technical and tactical. School rugby must be able to point to universal benefits (that are not available only to the big and fast) if it is to remain a majority activity. And personal impacts that are quality controlled across a school.
Despite a small number of vociferous opponents, the game has much support throughout schools and society, and enriches the lives of many. This, however, does not attract sensationalist publicity. People have an emotional attachment to the game, that cannot be directly compared with the intellectual reaction of academic opponents.Many parents recognise the value of participation, and many children of all levels of athletic ability continue to love, and benefit from, the game. It is unfortunate that this is not equally newsworthy.