KISS THE ALL BLACKS GOODBYE

This is a mighty rugby union country, where kids can start playing the game as young as 3. All three of my kids play for Parklands Rugby Football Club, here in the City of Christchurch, New Zealand. My youngest (5 years) is in his second year of Rippa Rugby. Last weekend, he had the unfortunate experience of playing against a third team from Christchurch RFC. Despite the fact that Rippa Rugby is supposed to be non-contact, at least two players came off injured after being thumped by Christchurch players. One was such a blatant tackle near the try-line, that it should have been a penalty try. This is the fourth time I have witnessed a Christchurch RFC team use illegal tackling and shirt-pulling in a (supposed) non-contact scenario. Saturday’s game has prompted me to pour you another Cup of Vitriol.

Woah! Hang on. Back-up; what the hell is Rippa Rugby?!!!!

Well, Rippa Rugby is the junior (Under-6 and Under-7 grades) version of Rugby Union. Instead of tackling, the kids rip off fluorescent tags from a Velcro belt. It’s not too dissimilar to Touch Rugby. Tackle rugby, in New Zealand, starts at the Under-8 grade. Rippa Rugby is the precursor to that collision game. The clever use of bright tags focuses the kids on the future tackle area; the hips. For my sins, I have the huge honour, privilege and pleasure of coaching my son’s Under-6 Rippa Rugby team. However, with that coaching comes significant responsibility.

I have a responsibility for the kids’ enjoyment of the game. I have a responsibility to develop their skills. I have a responsibility to the Parklands Rugby Club to uphold their good reputation. However, more than anything, I have a responsibility to the kids and their parents to keep the players free from harm under my care.

I believe the worst offenders of these physical infringements, that I have ever seen, are 2012 Christchurch U6 Bronze (and yes, I’m naming you!). Here’s a quote from the official NZRFU site on Rippa Rugby; “It is a very safe, non-contact, easy to play game…” I think the coaches of Christchurch Bronze need to read that statement many times; “very safe and non-contact…” I had FOUR players off injured from contact in that particular game, three weeks ago. “...it’s fun and exciting for all involved…” Two of those players – and we’re talking hardy kids here – had been thumped to the ground so many times, they didn’t want to go back on. The parents of our team, my co-coach, and I were appalled. It was such a disgusting display, that one of our parents wrote a strong and eloquent letter to the Canterbury Rugby Football Union to protest. As a result, Christchurch Bronze will be audited by the Union. But Christchurch RFC is a very large and successful rugby club, and a major part of the provincial Canterbury RFU. I’ve heard parents sign up their littlies at Christchurch RFC, in the expectation of becoming a part of that successful, winning culture. It's apparent that parents sign up their kids there, thinking they'll all be All Blacks. When you see that, you see why winning becomes everything there – at any cost – even in the junior teams. The parents' need to win becomes secondary to the little kids' enjoyment of the game.

I’ve become a cynical boor in my old age, when it comes to “process,” “auditing,” and “taking action.” So here’s what I think will happen; Christchurch Bronze will be audited, I’m sure. And, the coaches might be apologetic: “Oh, it’s kids being kids. We’re trying to rein them in, but they love their rugby soooooo much. And they so want to play for Christchurch.” [yeah, right. The PARENTS want them to play for Christchurch].

From my experience, the Christchurch perspective will be full of spin, and our account will be trivialised: “Oh, come on, they’re exaggerating, this is a physical game, it’s nowhere near as bad as they’re making out, they’re sore because they lost. We’re trying to breed hard kids here. Rugby isn’t tiddlywinks.” In other words, I think nothing will come of it.

Please prove me wrong, Canterbury Rugby Football Union. Show me you’ll take action when our concerns are corroborated, when the safety of 5-year-old kids is threatened.

Setting aside for now, the injury potential for my son and his mates (and that WILL be difficult), there’s a deeper worry the CRFU need to think about. It’s been whispered in my ear that the real reason Rippa Rugby was introduced, was because Mrs White-Middleclass became worried about all those big Pacific fella’s thumping down on poor wee Johnny. Pfff! Really? True or not, the NZRFU say, "Rippa Rugby will promote excellent ball handling and running skills, and give all kids a chance to participate in our national game," before the kids enter the tackle aspect of rugby. Now that, I do agree with.

Yes, yes, yes. I know that my Under-6 kids will have to get into the collision game eventually. I can hear my critics screaming now, “Rugby is a physical, contact game – get over yourself!” I truly don’t have a problem with tackling, per se. My issue with sticking to the non-contact rule in Rippa Rugby, is about giving my players a level playing field (no pun intended). Why should Christchurch Bronze players be allowed to tackle when my players aren’t? Why should I have to take my Under-6 kids, who have been taught running and evasion, onto a field with Under-6 kids who seem to have been taught tackling and shirt pulling? I want to develop my kids LOVE for the game first, before they mature into tackle-readiness. THEN, I’ll develop my fit, hardy players into tackle monsters.

So here’s the clever part from the NZRFU (in my humble opinion): mums LOVE Rippa Rugby. It is truly a fast, exciting kids’ sport that parents love to watch. AND, kids can be playing Rippa for up to four years before they enter the tackle game. By this time, the kids are hooked. They have fallen in love with rugby, as my three sprogs have done. Once the love for rugby is there, the KIDS are in control of their sport, not the mums. I've seen Rippa suck those faint-hearted mums inexorably into tackle-rugby. So, when the tackle game comes along and Johnny gets thumped at Under-8, the mums can “Ooooh! Ahhhh! Ouch! Poor Johnny!” all they like, but Johnny now loves the game - and wants to keep playing! “No Mum, I’m fine – I’m going back on the field!”

And here’s the threat to all that: When asses like the coaches of Christchurch Bronze fail to rein-in the physical play at the non-contact Under-6 level, lots of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds are going to get hurt. Enough to put them off the game! And if that proliferates to other Under-6 teams, a heap of mums will start to pull their kids out of rugby – before the love takes hold. The mums will take their wee ones back to (gulp!) that strange game with the spherical ball, for histrionic prima donnas. By definition, there will be less young talent going into the All Blacks Funnel. So when that happens, lack-of-depth will threaten the very future of our national rugby side.

And if that takes hold for any length of time, my friends, you can kiss the All Blacks goodbye.