Contact sports and cotton wool?

Micky Boy, I saw the Rugby piece on the news this morning. I think it can't/shouldn't be banned(not that they said it would be) but I disagree with the point of 'all children' at certain schools expected to play. Any school going down the route of banning contact in sports will suffer in the long term. The Boxing head guard thing is a backwards step.

Could not the headguard be deployed in school rugby?

I feel that if school age children want to play Rugby and join a Club..then fair enough, they ought to be allowed to play contact Rugby. However, I do feel that it is unacceptable to teach it in schools and expect ALL kids to 'have a go.' Some hate it - there's plenty of alternatives to teach/play, and maybe all it achieves is putting some kids off sport for life. My son loves football, but quickly realised in Rugby lessons to get rid of the ball ASAP to avoid getting tackled and trampled on. 

I used to play rugby at school 35 years I enjoyed it but wasn't any good but one of the players in my team got kicked in the head in a ruck and suffered brain damage he really was never the same again, his personality changed.   So although I love rugby I can see the arguments.  

If you cannot have tackle ?,does that mean rugby is now only a female sport 

As I said in my acceptedly  misdirected post under general chat, - if this is accepted, then do our children have to play cricket with a soft ball - perhaps a red dyed tennis ball?  And learn to swim in a soft ball pool, instead of dangerous wet water?

You simply cannot take all danger out of young peoples sport. Life is dangerous anyway and to remove all risk from the learning process can increase the danger later.

TF

As I said in my acceptedly  misdirected post under general chat, - if this is accepted then do our children have to play cricket with a soft ball/ - perhaps a red dyed tennis ball?  And learn to swim in a soft ball pool instead of dangerous wet water?

You simply cannot take all danger out of young peoples sport. Life is dangerous anyway and to remove all risk from the learning process can increase the danger later.

TF

...Totally agree 

It's my belief that PE is a vital part of education in schools and that children are introduced to as many sports and sports skills as possible in primary and secondary. These should be undertaken with as much of the dangers reduced without significantly detracting from the core skills of the games as possible. Then, children can choose sports which they wish to focus on, ones which they just enjoy, or  have a particular skill in. I was never brilliant at rugby, never learnt the game until university but played most weekends until retirement from the game at 40+.

I will add that I worried more about my daughter horse riding than my son who played both school and club rugby.

Mickysf, And you were right to worry. when I was engaged in developing Police Air support in the late 80's and early 90's most of our calls to rural areas were due to riding accidents. Almost all to females.  Sorry slightly off thread.

TF

My son played and loved Rugby from a young age and apart from a broken bone, suffered no major injuries, being on the wing helped, but if they are taught how to tackle properly and that all regional and country players are heavily penalised for bad tackling then hopefully this dangerous practise will stop and younsters can play the game as it should be played. Before long children will not be allowed to do anything unless they are wrapped in bubblewrap.