What it means to be a rugby parent |
Just like any other sport your biggest job is to support your player. But especially with rugby being such a new sport, it is your job to take the time to learn how the game works. Not saying you need to be an expert, but it is best for your player to be able to talk to you about their game and you can applaud them from the stands when they win a ruck, but you need to know what a ruck is.
As far as your job in relation to the team, it is unique when it comes to rugby. First of all, after every game, the home team holds a social. A social is dinner for both teams (so at the very least 30 people + coaches). This is traditionally handed over to the parents to organize, if you would like to volunteer to head up a social, please contact a coach and we will get you in touch with all other parents who would like to be involved. Along with the socials we will also have concessions at home games, if parents or siblings would like to run these, again please contact a coach. Another huge part about being a club rugby parent is transportation. We do not receive transportation from the school therefore everyone must carpool to games. We love to have parents drive over players in case of injuries, exhaustion and other reasons. We do our best to organize rides during practices leading up to the games but in order to do so we need to know if parents are willing to drive and how many seats they have open, so please communicate with your player so we can make sure everyone gets to and from games safely. Also: if you have any ideas or connections for fundraising or sponsorships, please contact a coach. |
Is it safe? |
The main reason rugby is seen as ‘unsafe’ or ‘scary’ is partially because of the free flowing nature, the lack of protection, and the variation in sizes of players.
As far as the free flowing nature goes, many people who are unfamiliar to the game compare it to the stop-and-start nature of football which makes it look confusing and scary. If you know the game or watch it closely everything is structured in some way, the player gets tackled with proper form, goes down safely, is protected by their teammates, and play moves on. While there is a lack of protection it does not make the game any less safe than football. This is because players are much more conscious of how they play. We take out time teaching the proper way to tackle and take a tackle to prevent injury. Players know they are exposed and are not taught to blow through their opponents head first like football players are. There is also no contact between unprotected body parts and hard plastic, the body can handle an impact with someone else much better than it can with a shin guard or shoulder pad. Yes, your child can weigh 100 pounds and go up against someone who weighs 200 during rugby, but they are taught how to do so and are rarely left to do anything alone on the field. We stress supporting your teammates during practice and a game, there should always be someone with your child to help them and protect them. In addition, if they focus on the technicalities of how to tackle and ruck, there is no player they can not take on. Rugby is known for having a position for everyone, which should not intimidate anyone but encourage them to play, we have a home for everyone. |
Common terms and concepts |
Brief History: A student at the Rugby School in England, William Webb Ellis, was playing soccer in 1823 when he picked up the ball and ran down the field to score. From this point, the game of rugby was formed. Today rugby is played in over 100 countries all because Mr. Ellis picked up the ball, and ran with it. Little known fact, the game of football came from the game of rugby. So soccer turned to rugby and rugby turned to football.
Scoring: There are four ways to score points in a rugby game. • Try – When the ball is grounded over an opponents’ goal line in their ‘try zone’ it is worth 5 points. • Conversion – After scoring a try the scoring team gets an attempt to kick the ball through the uprights. Worth 2 points. • Penalty – If the opposition commits a penalty, a team can choose to kick at the goal. Worth 3 points. • Drop Goal – During play a team may drop the ball on the ground and kick it over the goal, this is called a drop goal. Worth 3 points. Number of Players: Traditional rugby consists of 15 players on each side. Other versions of the game include seven players on each side, called Sevens which you may have seen in the Olympics this year. Duration: Traditional high school rugby with 15 players on each side consists of 30 minute halves and a 5 minute half time. Field: Rugby is played on a field not exceeding 100 meters in length (excluding two try zones) and 70 meters wide. Passing: The rugby ball can only be passed laterally or backwards. There are no forward passes, if a forward pass is made it results in a scrum awarded to the other team. Tackling: Rugby is a continuous, full contact sport. What this means is that once a tackle is made, play continues. A tackle occurs when the ball carrier is taken to the ground by a member of the opposition. Once tackled, a ball carrier must release the ball. Once a player makes a tackle, he/she must roll away from the play. Ruck: Once a player is tackled to the ground, a ruck is formed when one or more players from each team close around the ball. The ball then emerges and play continues. Maul: When the ball carrier is held up by a member of the opposition and by a member on his/her own team, it is called a maul. Scrum: A scrum is used to restart play after a minor infringement occurs (i.e. forward pass). The scrum consists of eight of the 15 players, called forwards. These eight players bind together and come head to head with the eight players of the opposition. The ball is thrown into the middle of the scrum on the ground and the players work with their feet to hook the ball behind them, making it available to play. The ball is then collected by the scrumhalf and passed out to the back line. Lineout: When the ball goes out of bounds, play is restarted with a lineout. Two lines are formed with opposing teams. The ball is thrown in the air in the tunnel between the lines. Teams will lift players to contest for the ball, conceptually similar to a tip off in other sports. |