For kids, rugby's all about having fun, being with mates

Small Blacks TV star 'Rugger'. Photo / Supplied

In 2004, the Rugby Union commissioned Research New Zealand to talk to children to find out what they liked and didn't like about playing rugby and what might help them be more interested in playing the game and playing it longer.

That research made it very clear that the most important aspects of rugby for these young kids - by far - was having fun and being with their mates.

Based on that research, our Small Blacks development model was created to try to ensure those aspects, fun and mateship, along with other important elements such as safety, were encouraged in our game.

Among the things we tell our coaches is that they should ensure every child gets at least half a game.

We also tell them that where a score blowout looks likely (such as more than 35 points), the coaches must get together at halftime to look at ways to create a more even contest.

Some suggestions on how they can do this are changing players around, swapping forwards and backs, replacing or swapping a player who might be dominating the game, doing some in-game coaching or setting some challenges for one or other of the teams and - for the very brave - swapping the coaches.

The aim is to try to ensure the rugby experience is fun for both teams because it's no big leap to work out that if a team is getting beaten by big scores every week, the children in that team will start to lose interest in the game, as will the players in a team that wins big week-in, week-out.

Capping scores is not something the NZRU has imposed or requires. It was an initiative from the Auckland junior rugby committee, which was finding that some coaches in the under-12 and under-13 club competitions were not endeavouring to manage score blowouts at halftime, therefore ignoring the guidelines of the Small Blacks development model.

To encourage better take-up of those guidelines, the Auckland committee agreed to cap the scores in the under-12 and under-13 grades with a maximum differential of 35 points.

The Rugby Union supports Auckland in trying to encourage coaches to manage this area.

Rugby is not alone in taking this type of approach to children's sport. Netball and cricket have similar guidelines relevant to their codes to encourage enjoyment for the children playing the game as well as providing a competitive environment.

It does not mean winning or keeping score isn't important. It's very much part of the game.

We must remember, however, that this is about the children, not the adults.

Just witness the playground games when no adults are involved.

Kids will pick evenly balanced teams (taking turns to pick players), and how are games decided? Typically, in the school playground when the class bell rings, kids will play for "last try wins", regardless of the score up to then.