Schools tackling ban ‘would spell danger’
CALLS to ban tackling in schools in response to the dementia crisis are misguided and downright dangerous, according to aspiring Taunton full-back Greg Kitson.
Kitson, 20, attended Blundells School in Devon, where he learnt the art of tackling ahead of breaking into senior men’s rugby with National League Taunton in 2019.
In response to recent revelations that former internationals Steve Thompson and Alix Popham are among a number of players to have been diagnosed with early onset dementia, a group of academics issued an open letter urging tackling to be outlawed in schools.
However, Kitson told The Rugby Paper: “School rugby was awesome. Playing against other schools and in tournaments like the Rosslyn Park 7s was what school was about for me and my mates, so it would be terrible for kids if they were banned from taking contact.
“I feel bad enough for kids in lower sixth forms who’ve just had a year of rugby taken away from them through Covid-19, but to have that compounded by taking proper rugby out of schools altogether would be horrendous. Effectively, it would ruin school rugby.
“Also, once you get to 18 and a higher level of rugby, you just wouldn’t be prepared for the men’s game
and it would drive a lot of people away. If you haven’t learnt to tackle at school, having a 20st 30-year-old crashing into you would be downright dangerous.
“There are some big boys running around at schoolboy level, but there are even bigger blokes running at you in the National Leagues so you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Kitson, meanwhile, is a salutary example of a player who began 2020 with high hopes of developing his rugby and life experiences but ended it frustrated by Covid.
The talented full-back flew to Australia last January with hopes of playing Shute Shield rugby while on a six-month sports coaching placement at the renowned Scots College in Sydney, but is now destined to complete a calendar year without playing any meaningful rugby.
Kitson explained: “The last game I played was for Taunton away at Henley on January 11. I flew to Sydney a few days later and the plan was to coach at Scots College while playing rugby, but I only had a few training sessions with Eastern Suburbs before Covid struck.
“By the start of April, I was back in England and haven’t been able to play since. I kept as fit as I could at home before Taunton started training again in July, but since then the season’s just been pushed back and back.
“In the meantime, I started at Leeds University studying history and politics and the plan was to play in the BUCS League there. But again, apart from a couple of training sessions, there’s been no proper rugby and it’s hard to stay motivated.
“I went into 2020 looking to improve and play at the highest level I could, but Covid has put paid to it and I’ve got mates who are asking, ‘What’s the point?’. Forwards are not there to play touch and I know quite a few guys who are questioning their futures.”