Changes aim to stop rugby league exodus
Later introduction of tackles and taking focus off competition the major priorities
A RAFT of changes to junior rugby league in the state’s southeast will be trialled in 2019, with tens-of-thousands of juniors walking away from the sport each year, largely due to a “negative experience”.
The biggest changes include the outlawing of tackling in under-6s, where they will instead play a non-contact version called Tag League, and the abolishment of competition points and premierships for juniors from ages 6-12.
The changes will be trialled in 2019, with plans for the strategies to be implemented across the board in 2020.
It’s a good move, with registered six-year-olds – and their parents – able to get a feel for the game without the “fear factor” that has deterred new participants in the past.
They will also undergo specific tackle training for 12 months to teach them to defend safely, before they join the traditional contact form in the under-7s.
However, the decision to do away with competition points and premierships has outraged some parents and coaches.
I’m guessing these are the same parents and coaches whose sideline antics have contributed to such a change being introduced.
Let’s not lose focus – think back to when you played junior sport – what mattered to you most?
Was it the winning, the premierships and the glory? Or was it playing with your mates, making new ones and, most importantly, having a fat time every weekend?
Kids don’t care about finals and competition points at that age, and if they do, it’s only because of their weirdo parents who are trying to live out their own sporting dreams through their kids.
Maybe taking the nopremiership policy to the under-12s is a bit much, but I don’t have a problem with kids under 10 not being able to play for points and premierships – and neither would junior rugby league’s most important assets – the players themselves.
I get that being able to learn from failure is critical for children, but there’s plenty of time for that after their 10th birthday.
Junior sport, in its early years, is about kids giving it a go, learning the basic skills and developing a love for the game that, hopefully, lasts a lifetime.
You don’t need finals series or competition ladders for that.
Taking away the hypercompetitive aspect from junior league games is an experiment at this stage, but I think it will only be good for the game in the long run.
LET’S NOT LOSE FOCUS — THINK BACK TO WHEN YOU PLAYED JUNIOR SPORT — WHAT MATTERED TO YOU MOST?