Rugby: Keep quiet, please

Parents, spectators and coaches have been asked to keep quiet at all youth rugby matches in Yorkshire. Photo / Getty Images

Parents, spectators and coaches at all youth rugby matches in Yorkshire have been told not to shout, cheer or even clap at games on the next two Sundays in an effort to improve touchline behaviour.

The 'Silent Sundays' initiative has been backed by the Rugby Football Union plus Yorkshire Carnegie chairman and former Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan, after some referees reported increasing abuse from the sidelines.

The Yorkshire RFU also wants to raise behavioural standards ahead of an expected influx of new players following the Rugby World Cup, which is being hosted by England in September and October.

A letter announcing the Silent Sundays has been sent out to all clubs with parents, coaches and volunteers being asked to comply.

The letter states: "There is a small minority who are definitely not living rugby's core values while coaching or watching rugby on Sunday mornings.

"Some referees are being verbally abused and are constantly having their decisions questioned. We are losing referees, and finding it harder to recruit new referees, because of this.

"Some coaches, parents, and spectators are constantly shouting at their players. Screaming 'pass' or 'tackle' at players simply turns you in to a PlayStation coach. Junior players who leave the game have highlighted this pitch-side pressure as a reason for giving up."

The letter adds that rugby's core values are under attack because even if most people on the touchline do behave they "look on and do nothing".

Greg Bayliss, the RFU's rugby development officer for the region, accepted the idea was controversial but said it was intended to stimulate debate about tackling the issues of bad behaviour on the sidelines.

He told Press Association Sport: "We have a very small problem that we want to address before the Rugby World Cup when we will have lots of people who may try the sport for the first time."

He added that Sport England had identified pressure from the sidelines as the top reason that 13-year-olds cited for giving up team sports.

- AAP