Tackle, competitive ban backflip: Major changes coming into Souths Juniors competition from 2024

Tackle and competitive bans for some junior age groups are set to be implemented across the Souths Juniors competition in 2024. Here’s why the league has backflipped on its stance from this year.

Tackling will be prohibited in Souths Juniors for U5s and U6s in 2024. Picture: File

A year after defying sweeping changes proposed by the NSWRL, the Souths Juniors competition is set to fall into line from 2024 onwards.

In an email communicated to clubs, South Sydney District Junior Rugby Football League CEO Luke Curry confirmed the age of tackling and competitive fixtures would be raised.

“Ages 5-8 will be non-competitive. Under 5s and 6s will play tag for the whole season,” the statement read.

This shapes as a major change from 2023 where tackling was allowed in the U5 and U6 divisions, with competitive divisions played in all age groups except for the U5s.

A number of major reasons were presented for the changes, including excessive transfers at the start of the season impacting competition integrity and poor conduct from players and spectators.

That poor conduct came to a head on A-grade grand final day as wild brawls took place both inside and outside Redfern Oval.

The vision from the league is this leads to a new audience of players and parents, and that this will aid in the transition of players from mini to mod to international football, keeping them in the game for longer.

The statement said the changes would be trialled during the year and reviewed at the conclusion.

Current ideal NSWRL guidelines have the 2024 season as non-competitive up to and including the U10s.

Ahead of last season, South Sydney joined the likes of Manly and Macarthur in defying the changes that were proposed for the start of the 2023 season.

Last November Curry said the decision to opt against the NSWRL proposal was backed by clubs.

“We’ve sent our position to NSWRL and we declined to go into the tag component and non-competitive element (of the changes),” he said.

“We want to keep doing what we do. Sticking to what we’ve always done is our position at the moment.

“It was supported by the clubs. We wouldn’t go in the direction we were if clubs weren’t on board.”

The proposed changes also drew the ire of former The Biggest Loser trainer Shannan Ponton, who believed teaching the right tackle technique at a young age was crucial to helping young children grow confidence in their abilities.