31 replies to this topic

[ricardo07]

Saturday 2nd October took my grandson to the Grand Final at Old Trafford. Earlier that day we travelled from Wakefield to Harrogate where he played rugby union for his school. His team won easily, at 11 years old many of his team mates had played rugby league at their junior schools, which gave them the advantage over their opponents, most of whom were new to the game of rugby, irrespective of its code.

This reminded me of my own time 40 odd years ago, played rugby league at junior school, then union at grammar school and university, returning to league and professional offers, finally back to union in my late 30's in order to continue playing.

The point that I am making is that I feel that the RFL ought to take a more active role in promoting rugby league in schools. I would like them to be involved in setting up Saturday leagues that encourages school teams to be involved very much the same as the RFU do.

With so many schools doing less and less sport, the opportunity to make Saturday mornings a rugby league playing day is immense.

I would also propose that the RFL should also be looking at a major newspaper to put its name to a cup competition similar to the one ran by the Daily Mail in cooperation with the RFU.

At the moment we seem to be doing little to counter the growing influence of football.

Encouraging the schools to continue or take up the playing of rugby league would be a major distraction to football.

I noticed at the Grand Final, there was plenty of leaflets and bags encouraging youngsters to "Try It" with regard to rugby league.

Much of that idea will be quickly lost without follow up.

That follow up should be through the schools.

Back to my own grandson, he was fascinated by the play of Sam Tomkins and the way he played stand off, fullback and even loose forward during the same game.

I hope Sam continues his development and I share Alex Murphy's view that he potentially could be one of the best finds for many years.

I would love to see the glory days back at Wakefield, with such players in our team, hopefully at a new ground very soon.

[Impartial Observer]

They do have the Champion Schools which one of the finals is played at Wembley prior to the cup final.

http://www.therfl.co...hampionschools/

[scrape_goose]

Saturday 2nd October took my grandson to the Grand Final at Old Trafford. Earlier that day we travelled from Wakefield to Harrogate where he played rugby union for his school. His team won easily, at 11 years old many of his team mates had played rugby league at their junior schools, which gave them the advantage over their opponents, most of whom were new to the game of rugby, irrespective of its code.

This reminded me of my own time 40 odd years ago, played rugby league at junior school, then union at grammar school and university, returning to league and professional offers, finally back to union in my late 30's in order to continue playing.

The point that I am making is that I feel that the RFL ought to take a more active role in promoting rugby league in schools. I would like them to be involved in setting up Saturday leagues that encourages school teams to be involved very much the same as the RFU do.

With so many schools doing less and less sport, the opportunity to make Saturday mornings a rugby league playing day is immense.

I would also propose that the RFL should also be looking at a major newspaper to put its name to a cup competition similar to the one ran by the Daily Mail in cooperation with the RFU.

At the moment we seem to be doing little to counter the growing influence of football.

Encouraging the schools to continue or take up the playing of rugby league would be a major distraction to football.

I noticed at the Grand Final, there was plenty of leaflets and bags encouraging youngsters to "Try It" with regard to rugby league.

Much of that idea will be quickly lost without follow up.

That follow up should be through the schools.

Back to my own grandson, he was fascinated by the play of Sam Tomkins and the way he played stand off, fullback and even loose forward during the same game.

I hope Sam continues his development and I share Alex Murphy's view that he potentially could be one of the best finds for many years.

I would love to see the glory days back at Wakefield, with such players in our team, hopefully at a new ground very soon.

I've just been googling trying to find info about a schools comp my son is playing in on Monday. He's been playing RL since under 8's, he's now playing under 14's. last year they played a handful of 9's tournaments for school, and this is what he is playing in on Monday, Carneige Champion Schools festival. However it is difficult to find any info.

Last year they played in the Bradford regional festival of same comp, as they won that they played in the West Yorks comp then they won the Yorkshire comp. So 3 afternoons of RL, other than that they played one game in the National Schools CC 13-a-side, lost in first round, so that was it all year. One full game and three 9's tournaments.

They trained once as far as I recall and haven't done this year. I guess it's down to resources in the school and the interest of the sports teacher. It would help if the RFL could get more involved, perhaps getting players from local pro teams to go coach the kids once or twice a month. Or sending qualified coaches. It might help if they could set up regional mini leagues within LEA's so the kids get more than one or two games a year. Winners of the leagues going on to play other league winners.

Although there games teacher has entered for the comps and takes them, he doesn't from what I can see have much interest in RL, as I said no training and the team is picked by my sons mate, who is the captain, the teacher just seems to drive the mini bus.

Not laying blame at the school or teachers feet, he perhaps doesn't have time to take training sessions, and he has at least got a team together and entered the comps avail. I think this is a reflection on how serious sports are taken as a whole within education in this country. Look at Aus and the US, sports are an integral part of the schools, and they produce top class sportsmen at all sports. In this country if you want your kids to play sports it has to be done out of school. how many kids are put off sport at an early age cos they can't play football, cricket or rugby. Yet they might be good at other sports given a chance.

[Ant]

Back in the late 80s the Tory government stopped teachers being paid overtime to teach/supervise out of school activities like sports and so teachers, quite rightly, stopped doing it.

Even now its left to local sports clubs to provide these activities and its a slightly further step to go from a school club to a local sports club.

Maybe the SL clubs need to actually go into schools themselves, rather than hope the schools come to them?

[terrywebbisgod]

Back in the late 80s the Tory government stopped teachers being paid overtime to teach/supervise out of school activities like sports and so teachers, quite rightly, stopped doing it.

Even now its left to local sports clubs to provide these activities and its a slightly further step to go from a school club to a local sports club.

Maybe the SL clubs need to actually go into schools themselves, rather than hope the schools come to them?

Some SL clubs do,I know Leeds do and someone from the Giants was seeing how Leeds liaise with local sports clubs and schools.

[ricardo07]

Following up on subsequent posts to my original comment.

Although there is some rugby being played it is not nearly regular enough.

I am suggesting the use of Saturday, so that games can be played on a weekly basis.

Although I agree that clubs can do much more, I am fully aware that most do into schools.

However the reason that I am advocating the RFL's involvement is that they can establish standard formats rather than ad hoc approaches from individual clubs.

My suggestion would be that Super League clubs should have a marketing plan in which all the schools in their area are targetted and responses monitored.

This would enable the RFL to look at establishing regional leagues as opposed to small local leagues which may only be a good as the marketing of the Super league club in their area.

A scaled down version could then be applied to Championship 1 clubs and in turn those of Championship 2.

Continuity needs to be the name of the game.

Limited involvement will lead to failure.

It is similar in the amateur game, particularly in the non heartlands where lack of fixtures is a detriment to establishing a successful club.

[scrape_goose]

Following up on subsequent posts to my original comment.

Although there is some rugby being played it is not nearly regular enough.

I am suggesting the use of Saturday, so that games can be played on a weekly basis.

Although I agree that clubs can do much more, I am fully aware that most do into schools.

However the reason that I am advocating the RFL's involvement is that they can establish standard formats rather than ad hoc approaches from individual clubs.

My suggestion would be that Super League clubs should have a marketing plan in which all the schools in their area are targetted and responses monitored.

This would enable the RFL to look at establishing regional leagues as opposed to small local leagues which may only be a good as the marketing of the Super league club in their area.

A scaled down version could then be applied to Championship 1 clubs and in turn those of Championship 2.

Continuity needs to be the name of the game.

Limited involvement will lead to failure.

It is similar in the amateur game, particularly in the non heartlands where lack of fixtures is a detriment to establishing a successful club.

This is the point I had in mind, try to develop regualr rugby in schools. I'm not sure Saturdays would be ideal. that'd mean my son and all those who play rugby outside school, playing Saturday then Sunday. Also my sons team, Queensbury, train Thurs and Sat mornings. the games/ tournaments he played in last year were all knock out, so a scholl may only play one 13-a-side and be involved in one 9-a-side tournament all school year.

The lack of fixtures in the amateur game is also a prob in the heartlands, as i said my sons plays in teh West Riding league and the organisation of the league is shambolic. last weeks game called off cos no ref, there are 7 teams in his division, so only 3 games a week, yet the league can't organise a ref. One had been appointed but it turned out he no longer refs!!!?? they wonder why junior teams are switching to the Yorkshire League, buts thats another gripe.

[TheConverted]

Ready to be shot down

The Daily Mail Cup is on the whole won each year by independent schools because they play sport in school on a serious level. They want to win at any sport so they can attract new scholars and so increase revenue through fees. Some schools offer scholarships worth up to 10k and more per year if your child is good enough and the school want to win seriously enough.

We as a nation went wrong when we stopped competing at sport in state school because little Jimmy might be offended if he could not win at anything. We need to make our children proud of winning again and try harder to achieve success instead of preaching mediocrity.

Rugby Union is miles in front in terms of the sports development because they have organised themselves and adapted better and got into schools who want to play, quickly since turning professional.

What baffles me is how they have achieved it. You can get a group of kids playing League in a matter of hours because it is such a simple game to coach at beginner’s level. To get a group of kids playing safely at union takes several weeks and they still don’t understand what they are doing. Take it from me kids just want to have fun, and what better fun is there than running into your best mate and flattening them and getting praise from the coach.

Why can’t a community coach from any club, not necessarily Super League be appointed to a school to run this on a Saturday? Get the RL or some organisation like the Co op to sponsor it and start from there. School Teachers on a whole keep getting shot down for not trying or committing to sporting success so why not help them get started by using people who are already trained up to do the job.

I am a Union man myself and cant for the life of me understand why league is not as or more popular. To me Rugby League is one of the Britains’s best kept secrets; it needs to be put in front of the public.

I truly hope that some serious time is spent on this by the RFL because the upshot to it could be that we don’t need to import players in ten years time and we might even stand a chance of winning at international level.

[Severus]

What baffles me is how they have achieved it. You can get a group of kids playing League in a matter of hours because it is such a simple game to coach at beginner’s level. To get a group of kids playing safely at union takes several weeks and they still don’t understand what they are doing. Take it from me kids just want to have fun, and what better fun is there than running into your best mate and flattening them and getting praise from the coach.

RU get kids to play touch rugby with a RL PTB early doors. This means the game is easy to learn, the kids can have a run about and it is easy to referee. Later on they begin to concentrate on the RU elements of scrums, rucks, mauls and lineouts once they have a feel for the rugby basics.

[TheConverted]

Union Touch is not restarted with a League style play the ball it is started with a pass. You are missing the point though, this is another area where Union has grasped that it can promote its sport. Union touch is a fast growing school sport and league will miss the bus with this aswell if they dont catch on. League is and always will be an easier game to coach to kids because there are not as many "intricate" rules.

League offers kids more because of the involvement it provokes through play. You can play well at union and not touch the ball, where is the fun in that?

League is a superior sport on many elements but it is not promoted very well by its organisors.

[Maximus Decimus]

I was reading a TES last year, which is a teaching paper and there was a pullout about sports in schools. In it there was an article saying that RL was the fastest growing sports in schools.

Obviously there is more to be done, but this needs to be bore in mind before people start slagging off the work that the RFL already do.

[The Future is League]

I was reading a TES last year, which is a teaching paper and there was a pullout about sports in schools. In it there was an article saying that RL was the fastest growing sports in schools.

Obviously there is more to be done, but this needs to be bore in mind before people start slagging off the work that the RFL already do.

This would tie in with an article i read about 2 years or more which said Rugby League was the fasting growing sport in schools in LONDON. i'am also given to believe that Rugby League is the fastest growing sport in Welsh schools as well.
i await for replys from the flatcappers about this.

[Methven Hornet]

Ready to be shot down

The Daily Mail Cup is on the whole won each year by independent schools because they play sport in school on a serious level. They want to win at any sport so they can attract new scholars and so increase revenue through fees. Some schools offer scholarships worth up to 10k and more per year if your child is good enough and the school want to win seriously enough.

Our local independent school, Glenalmond College, actually has a dedicated 'rugby master', so you can imagine how seriously such schools take the game. Unfortunately for the college in union terms, it started to become co-educational a number of years ago so that, although the number of pupils is roughly the same, the number of boys has dropped dramatically. Hence, its glory days as an ru school are probably in the past.

The Scottish equivalent of the DM Cup was won a few years ago by a state school - Bell Baxter from Cup in Fife - although that has not been repeated.

[foozler]

I get the feeling that clubs like Saints and Leeds do an awful lot of work with schools as part of their Community activities; Saints are working really hard at the moment to get RL more established in Liverpool schools and it does seem to be coming together. I guess the question is how much work the SL clubs do in areas close to their base where RL is not the dominant code - I can think of areas north of Leeds such as Harrogate, how much do Warrington do further down into Cheshire/ Wirral/ North Staffs even.

I presume the main thrust for the RFL is to get the game up and running in schools outside of the North of England and as others have said, the development work with schools in London seems to be paying off.

[tim2]

In Derbyshire we now have a full time CRLC and after just a few months in post he has galvanised schools in the county into action and we're going to have record Champions Schools entries this year. One school supplied 4 teams for the Y7 pre-Champs tournament.

As a club we are now looking at how to capitalise on this interest in terms of getting school-club links ready for next summer's Midlands League campaign. We may well set up mini-leagues within the schools but I believe we and the RFL have to drive and control this.

The contrast with Union in our area couldn't be more stark. The local independent school, where the Chargers play in the summer, has 6 rugby pitches that are in full use every week during the Union season, with other teams also away from home. The First XV is bussed and hoteled (is that a word?) around the country going to matches and major tournaments. Having said that, there's precious little Union in any other schools locally which is a massive opportunity for us.

[TheConverted]

Ive just been to a sports award ceremony in the Midlands, one of the heartlands of RU and not one representative or club from RU was put forward, plenty from RL though. RL where presented with several awards as they where last year.

School kids playing RL are now being recognised for what they are achieving but the support needs to kept up from the RFL.

Once this all kicks in down South, and it will take time I am sure a different playing level just might be achieved.

Come on RFL tell us all about this gem you have!

[adelwire]

Schools rugby league played at Grammar School at Leeds a couple of weeks ago for the FIRST time ever. I believe that Phil Holmes, relative of the late great John Holmes, is involved. Now there could be really good progress if they are given any support they need.

I feel just as passionately, as others who have commented on this thread, about the need to make the most of every opportunity in schools, on Saturday mornings etc. I suspect that most professional clubs play lip service to going in to the schools. Sure some clubs are very organised but bet majority aren't. Leeds rhinos went into my lads school recently, but seemed to go into the senior school not the junior school. So apart from some cheaper tickets, the visit made little impact in the junior part and he was disappointed not to see the players.. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a "well we've visited that school - shall we go back next year for an hour..." Hopefully Ive misjudged the situation and the players, who seem to have a lot of free time at Costa Coffee in Headingley, do actually give training sessions in the schools on a regular basis.

Do ALL PROFESSIONAL clubs go into schools to support, coach and raise profile of RL?

[goldcoaster]

I remember when I went to the 2008 Challenge Cup final, they had a presentation before the game of kids from a schools cup who had won their respective age groups.

I couldn't believe at how many levels Castelford High won! They won just about everything! Is that school known for producing loads of talented players? And do the tigers have some sort of system where their kids filter into the SL academies?

[Impartial Observer]

In South Wales over 100 schools have signed up to take part in Carneige Schools, there are six community coaches going around and doing the training at schools who have entered for the first time, in North Wales community coaches will soon be employed and active in schools

[scrape_goose]

Schools rugby league played at Grammar School at Leeds a couple of weeks ago for the FIRST time ever. I believe that Phil Holmes, relative of the late great John Holmes, is involved. Now there could be really good progress if they are given any support they need.

I feel just as passionately, as others who have commented on this thread, about the need to make the most of every opportunity in schools, on Saturday mornings etc. I suspect that most professional clubs play lip service to going in to the schools. Sure some clubs are very organised but bet majority aren't. Leeds rhinos went into my lads school recently, but seemed to go into the senior school not the junior school. So apart from some cheaper tickets, the visit made little impact in the junior part and he was disappointed not to see the players.. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a "well we've visited that school - shall we go back next year for an hour..." Hopefully Ive misjudged the situation and the players, who seem to have a lot of free time at Costa Coffee in Headingley, do actually give training sessions in the schools on a regular basis.

Do ALL PROFESSIONAL clubs go into schools to support, coach and raise profile of RL?

The Bulls have been into my sons school, once last year, Reardon came in to give them a training session, during P.E.

As I said earlier he'll be playing in the Champion Schools tournament on Monday and as far as I can remember there were 4 other schools at his age group, from Bradford, in it last year. But only one team progresses, so thats that as far as RL is concerned for those schools for the year. How hard would it eb for those teams to be put in a league and play each other home and away, the kids no then they have 8 games of rugby at least.