Would there be confusion in playing time in schools rugby?
The schools are getting into gear in anticipation of the schools season that is expected to start on the 21st of April. Last week the Western Province was winners on a day most with most of the big names missing.
This week it is the all island sevens where most of the top schools will participate and is a vital cog in the system. If rugby is to reach better levels it is necessary that the schools and the governing body sit and map out the plans and vision for the future. Having a development coach in place is a plus in the system and could help in developing the skills. That is the operational part which can be directed. What will be important is the management of the process. The analogy I can take is the traffic flow. The laws are there and the cops are on the road directing the flow. Yet there are traffic blocks with three lanes in a two lane road and being directed for the formation of another lane that should not be there. The missing link is the management. Similarly there is need to manage and reach congruence in direction between the union and the schools who have control of the schoolboy rugby nursery? It is understood that the under - twenty rugby games are to be played for a duration of seventy minutes broken to two half ’s of thirty five minutes. This was confirmed there and some are broken work expectations. I asked and penalized’. That is a mishim about the claim that take but is in the course of players may get injured. Cynthe game. A penalty is given ically he commented that a for a late tackle or tackling player might be injured in from an offside position. the first minute of the game too.this is a mistake but is a T part of the process. What if he following was an exsomebody was to say that let perimental law in 2011 and us amend the laws so that made permanent in 2012 and late or offside tackles are alrefers to discretion in the lowed. Similarly there are case of half time. After halfpenalties which are considtime the teams change ends. ered not part of the game There is an interval of not (such as punching or kicking more than 15 minutes. The and opponent) and may be length of the interval is decithe result of a send off (red ded by the match organizer, card). The questions I was the Union or the recognized asked if there body which has jurisdiction was a decision over the game. During the inthat there will terval the teams, the referee be no red cards and the touch judges may as these are leave the playing enclosure. schools boys: So why not have a 15 minute will it be rugby break and have more recovor thugby. ery time to reduce injury.
According to This reminds me a questhe Vice Presition a friend asked me recentdent of the ly. Why do we keep using the SLRFU (Lasitha word rugger when there Gunaratne) the need for a seem to be no word as such? governing body is to ensure Rugger is an informal name that the game is played the for rugby and since we use way it should be played and rugger more often than Rugadministered as per the diby let us be informal and rections of the IRB. Whatevmake the laws too; informal. er changes that has to be made has t be discussed with the Union and a decision taken with the overall frame- by the Secretary of the Schools Association who said the plan is to play a seventy minute game.
The game as per the IRB laws has a variation for those playing under - nineteen rugby where it is 35 minutes to a half with a maximum of 70 minutes. The argument being that playing eighty minutes exposes students to more injury and recovery takes time and will impair the studies. The Union on the other hand as they did last year will try and direct that the game be played over eighty minutes being the time in the laws of the game and the time that the IRB and AFRU Junior events are to be played. This will be Eighty minutes duration in two periods of forty minutes. The laws and regulations of the game of rugby allow the home union to effect domestic variations.
Therefore the Union is the governing body that can and has to approve the change in time according to Union officials. The schools section view is that they are under the Ministry of Education and need not follow the directive of the governing body and they do not have to get approval. On the other hand the Schools Rugby Football Association is affiliated to the Union and is a constituent part. It is through this link that schools rugby authorities get the life of Union Rugby and is connected to the IRB. The official did ask whether if more laws are changed without looking of the effect to the game we can say that we are playing rugby.
I was told “the laws are