Junior rugby league rule changes robbing kids of valuable lesson

Restrictions on keeping scores and playing finals in junior rugby league is robbing kids of a valuable life lesson, writes Mike Colman.

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This week’s reports about the ban on tackling in junior rugby league being extended to the Under 7s brought forth a fair amount of discussion.

But not as much as the fact that the restrictions on teams keeping score, playing for competition points or competing in finals series have been extended as well.

Under the trial rules introduced last season junior league players were not eligible to play in finals until the Under 13s.

Junior rugby league matches for under 13’s will no longer keep scores, under new trial.

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The QRL issued a statement on Friday denying incorrect reports (for which I apologise) that had stated the trial would be extended to the under 13s this season- but it will continue in the Under 12s.

“Development competitions will be run for participants in Under 6 to Under 12 under a structure that allows coaches to focus entirely on the technical, tactical, physical and social development of players,” it said.

Sorry, but I reckon it doesn’t matter if a kid is aged six or 12 or 13. When he or she starts playing any game they want to win.

You can try to hold that aspect out of sport as much as you like but that is the truth of it.

Just go along to an under 8 rugby league or AFL game if you don’t believe me.

The ruling bodies of those sports have decreed that scores aren’t kept at that age, but they’re kept alright. By the kids.

Kids under the age of 13 wont play for competition points or play in junior rugby league finals.

As a junior AFL coach told me this week: “At half-time I can tell them, ‘that’s good fellas, you’re playing well’ and one of them will say, ‘no we’re not, we’re down by two goals’ and another one will pipe up with, ‘yeah the score is 32 to 20’.”

It’s the same with rugby league. I received an email from a northside junior league coach on Thursday who gave a first-hand insight into how much playing grand finals means to the young players and their clubs.

“I have had the pleasure of coaching a side that just won back to back premierships in Under 12s and Under13s after being minor premiers on both occasions,” he wrote.

“In the Under 12s we played a top five finals series and took on the side that finished fifth in the grand final. Last year in the Under 13s we played the team that finished seventh in a Top 8 finals series.

“Talking to the coaches after the games they were both just stoked to be there after just making it. Their boys worked hard to make the finals and caused plenty of upsets in the finals to make the grand final.

Junior rugby league’s tackling ban extended to Under 7’s in new rule changes.

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“Both coaches were very proud as were their supporters and all the finals were played in tremendous spirit.

“Winning and losing creates culture and our family club strongly believes in what’s right for these kids. Enough is enough. Surely they are old enough ar ant age to learn to win and lose.”

He also made the point that finals series’ give struggling junior clubs an extra opportunity to bring in much-needed revenue through canteen sales.

Now surely no-one would argue against the sense of keeping kids from tackling until they have learnt the correct technique, and I’m all for banning youngsters from heading a soccer ball to prevent long-term brain injury.

But take the competition out of games and you are robbing kids of the most important lesson they will ever learn from sport.

That sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Just like in life.