Boys banned from netball tournament
BOYS have been banned from taking part in a national netball tournament despite being allowed to play in previous years.
Organisers say rules for the competition in May are aimed at encouraging more girls to take part, while boys’ physical strength can put them at an advantage.
But the Urdd Primary Schools Tournament will host a mixed-gender football competition as well as both girls’ and boys’ rugby competitions.
Netball is the only sport with a competition for just one gender.
The Urdd’s rules for its sports festival, held in Aberystwyth in May, has met with criticism from pupils who hoped to take part.
Pupils at Ysgol San Sior, in Llandudno, Conwy, won the county netball tournament last year and competed in the national competition.
Mason, 10, told the BBC: “Netball isn’t just for girls, it’s for boys and girls. If they’re taking away netball from the boys, why don’t they take a sport away from the girls?”
Ryley, also 10, said: “I’m normally a football person, but I wanted to try something different.”
“If girls are allowed to play football, why can’t boys play netball?” said Florence, 10.
Urdd Gobaith Cymru, which was set up in 1922 to provide opportunities for children through the medium of Welsh, said its rules for the competition in May are aimed at encouraging more girls to take part, while boys’ physical strength can put them at an advantage.
Spokeswoman Mali Thomas said the rules are looked at every year and would be looked at again later this year.
She said all participating schools were told last September that boys could not take part in netball.
Ysgol San Sior teacher Lisa Jones said the school will still enter a team but it would now include girls from younger years.
She told the BBC the ban was “a bit of a shock”, saying: “As far back as I can remember, we’ve been allowed to take boys to the tournament.”
Pupils have written to the Urdd saying how disappointed they are.
The Urdd said in a statement: “The Urdd is committed to equality of opportunity and we aspire to provide safe and enjoyable opportunities for children and young people through our sports activities.
“Single-sex sports are permitted under the Equality Act when differences in strength and physique would otherwise make the competition unfair.
“Following discussions with Sport Wales and Welsh Netball, the decision was made by the Urdd’s sports panel in September 2018 to offer an all-girls primary netball tournament in 2019.
“The main reason for this decision is to ensure that girls are able to take part in a competition where the circumstances are fair for all.
“There is also a significant gender gap in terms of participation in sports, through offering an all-girls tournament in this sport with a clear pathway for continued participation from primary to secondary school age, we are actively taking steps to close the gender gap in sports participation.”
Welsh Netball’s chief executive, Sarah Jones, said the rules of netball state it can be played by same-gender or mixed-gender teams.