All Blacks Speak On Rugby For Boys

Press, Volume C, Issue 29548, 24 June 1961, Page 5

All Blacks Speak On Rugby For Boys

THREE former AU Btacks. Mr R. C. Stuart, Mr K F Meats and Dr. H. C Burry, thi* week agreed that the best age for boys to start playing competitive Rugby "•as between the ages of 10 to 12. The speakers, members of * discussion panel, were answering a question from the audience at a fathers’ and sons' evening held by the New Brighton Convent school to raise funds for football jersey s and socks for the schoolboy teams. Kicking off the discussion, Mr Stuart said that perhaps boys in Chr.stchurch might start competition games a little early. However, he d:d not think it did them any harm really. They did not play too bard, and they did not play too long spells. "I do not think they start as early in other parts of the world," Mr Stuart said. "I mart say that I have never heard parents screaming from Sidelines. From what 1 have learned, the more duappoin'ing side of the picture is the sad number of parents who never turn up at all to see their boys play. Just send the boys off, to get rid of them, I suppose, and take no further interest. "Which brings me to the men wh6 deserve all the praise and are never heard of—'hose who organise, referee and look after the bovs in these competitions. The coaches are never heard of but they are doing a wonderful job for the boys and for Rugby," Mr Stuart said. He had two sons of his own. and. personally, he did not want them to start playing competitive Rugbv until they were 10 or 11. said Mr Meates. “As far as I am concerned 1 think boys younger than that should only be interested in kicking a ball about. They should learn to kick a ball if they want to. They should play soccer, even, if they must play younger than 10. “If my boys can learn to kick a ball, give a pass and take a pass before they are 10. that will satisfy me,” Mr Meates said.

■ It might be only chance,' I he said, but none of the All j Blacks he had played with had started playing Rugby at 'a very early age. The older 1 one grew, the more one enj joyed Rugby. Before 10. a I boy would not have the cap- ' acity to appreciate Rugby [and. if he started too young. would be stale when 17. the i age he should be really i starting to enjoy the game. “Put a very young boy on j a full-size field with a big I ball and the first thing he iwill do is make straight for ; the side-lines They should I have goal-posts on the side- ■ lines If they did, there j would be some champion backs in New Zealand now.” IMr Meates added amid I laughter. i On the other side of the) ' story, he said, was the fact I that young boys playing in i Saturday competitions were ■ not hanging round the s’reets with nothing to do. getting into mischief, or going to the pictures Saturday after Saturday. Playing Rugby was better than doing that, at any age. He was inclined to agree with Mr Meates. said Dr. Burry. He thought that the games before school and at lunch-time, with no organjisation. were enough for boys

, until they were 10 or 12. - ' i' “I can t see any great disadvantage in starting young, but organised teams when ■ the boys are 10 at least, seems young enough to me. “It is quite remarkable, the lack of serious injury In children playing Bugby. I. cannot remember one serious injury tn the last two years, as I think about it. From the medical point of view, it does not seem to do any harin starting the children at a very young age.

“The age between 14 and 17 seems to me the more vulnerable one. when th-we is great growth and all the boy’s energy is soing into growing upwards. Th? muscles cannot keep pace with the bones and the bones are not properly set.

“It seems to me that this is the time when a boy should not go at Rugby too hard, from the medical point of view. It also seems that 10 or 11 is quite early enough to start competitive games," Dr. Burry said.