stevew61/LBSWM/anyone? - help with rugby

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scatshouse
Posts: 438
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:00 am

stevew61/LBSWM/anyone? - help with rugby

Post by scatshouse »

My son had his first ever rugby practice last week and LOVED it.

However, I was very concerned to see (once all the mud had washed off) that he'd ended up with a black eye, bruised cheekbone (the other side) and, he later told me, he'd had a nose bleed, and one again the following morning, thanks to throwing himself onto someone's upturned boot :shock:

Please tell me that they teach them how to protect their faces. Or is this something that they are thought naturally to do and that my reckless son is just not doing?

They've got practice again tomorrow and Tuesday and I'd love for him to keep it up, but I just don't want him battered and bruised.

Do they wear those protective helmets? Or are they considered naff?

Thanks in advance,
Scatshouse.
Bexley Mum 2
Posts: 851
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
Location: Bexley

Post by Bexley Mum 2 »

Scathouse - I have 3 boys and they all play cricket. One of them, however, also plays and loves rugby. I've tended not to watch when he plays for his club because the game looks so rough. However, he's in Y7 now and playing rugby for his grammar school and has been injured in 2 of the 3 games he's played in so far. His legs are covered in bruises and - marks. Whenever I do go and watch him play I'm amazed at how often boys are laid flat out on the ground clutching various parts of their body. One of my son's school team mates is currently sporting a black eye and stitches acquired at a club rugby match.

It's a rough old game (which is why my other 2 boys aren't interested) but I'm told it's character-building :? . I think the cuts and bruises just go with the territory. My son now wears a scrum cap after somebody tried to rip his ear off at a festival earlier in the year - maybe your son could try one (not that it would protect his face of course). The first school game I went to this year one poor boy landed on the ground at my feet while everyone piled on top of him. He did curl up into a ball and put his hands over his head - which seemed like a pretty instinctive reaction to me. Maybe your son just has less sense of self-preservation!

Mind you, my husband always says he acquired more injuries playing cricket than he ever did playing rugby, and I must admit I have seen some very nasty cricketing injuries.......
Bougalou
Posts: 435
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Post by Bougalou »

loads wear scrum caps but that will not protect his face. Hubby is a school coach and says that it sounds as if he's tried to tackle and missed, hence contacting the boot. He also said, check that he's using his gum shield to protect his teeth and injuries to the face should become less likely as he learns to tackle properly. He should be being taught this, but I guess it takes time to pick it up.
DS has just come in after game for local team (U15) and is now proudly showing off his "war wounds." you get used to it after a while!!
However, I would have a word with his teacher if you are concerned, particularly if facial injuries happen again.
bouga
zorro
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Location: Barnet, Herts

Post by zorro »

My brother came home from school when we were young with a full rugby boot imprint ( studs and all ) on his face! As you can imagine my mum freaked out but after that he was ok. Think the self-preservation gene kicked in !
laid back son worried mum
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Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:18 am

Post by laid back son worried mum »

a bit late in the day, scatshouse. :lol:

this is only from the perspective of a worried mum who awaits the end of every rugby se55ion with trepidation..

Most injuries in the early stages are due to inexperience, especia11y if new to the game. The learning curve is quite steep and as zorro says, the self preservation gene kicks in pretty quickly. (Running away from a tackle or chucking the ba11 away without purpose or direction wi11 get you 50 pre55-ups or a trip around the pitch!!)

Most injuries in the later stage when they have learnt the rules and have got the rugby fever are due to the ferocity of playing to win.

I kid you... it does fo11ow that as it is a contact sport, the wrong or wrongly timed contact wi11 result in the battered, brusied, bl**dy boy we get back at the end of match or training.

They are taught a variety of ski11s, moves, tactics etc etc and they learn quickly which ones to execute in the heat of the game.

Scrum caps keep your head a little warm too and afford a little cushioning but gum shields and quick thinking are probably the best things you can bring onto the pitch.

You can also get rugby gloves(fingerle55 with friction palms) to help grip the muddy ba11 better.

Ask Master scatshouse if they are taught in a big group and by how many teachers at the rugby le55on. Sometimes, the instructions are not clearly fo11owed in a big group and there again he has to keep his wits about him to avoid any injury.

Good luck for today.
wi11 await your report on the battle wounds. :lol: .
stevew61
Posts: 1786
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:54 pm
Location: caversham

Re: stevew61/LBSWM/anyone? - help with rugby

Post by stevew61 »

scatshouse wrote:My son had his first ever rugby practice last week and LOVED it.
I would be very proud of him. :lol:

Sounds like a case of more enthusiasm than skill. With his positive attitude the skills will come.

Does sound like a miss-timed tackle, he will son get the hang of it.

My DS2, U9s, was sent home with the instruction to practice tackling on mum, dad, brothers, sisters, the dog, the sofa, we had a fun week. :)

Ask a class mate with more experience to show him the techniques, gently?


steve
Tolstoy
Posts: 2755
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:25 pm

Post by Tolstoy »

Husband used to play but thankfully not a scrum position. I will be encouraging my sons to play in the backs. I do believe they are less likely to get roughed up when they can keep as far away from the scrums as possible. Baring in mind DH finally gave up when I had to leave a rugby club xmas party with DSs' 1,2 & 3 whilst heavily pregnant with DS4 because he landed up in hospital with broken collar bone, that was his only serious injury throughout his many years of playing.

Yep with four of them and a strong Welsh connection it will be backs all the way as far as I'm concerned, I am well aware that there will be no possibility of avoiding it altogether :roll:
scatshouse
Posts: 438
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:00 am

Post by scatshouse »

Hi all,

Thanks for all your replies,

Bexley Mum2 wrote:
I think the cuts and bruises just go with the territory.
What is it with boys sports?

Bougalou wrote:
Hubby is a school coach and says that it sounds as if he's tried to tackle and missed, hence contacting the boot.
This is probably what happened, lets hope he learns to tackle properly soon :D .

Zorro wrote:
My brother came home from school when we were young with a full rugby boot imprint ( studs and all ) on his face! As you can imagine my mum freaked out but after that he was ok. Think the self-preservation gene kicked in !
He's usually home from football with the only studless part of his legs being where his shin pads are. But his face :shock: .

LBSWM wrote:
Most injuries in the early stages are due to inexperience, especia11y if new to the game. The learning curve is quite steep and as zorro says, the self preservation gene kicks in pretty quickly.
Since this was his first ever practice his injuries were probably due to inexperience and over enthusiasm, I mean where else is he allowed to throw other boys to the ground without being told off, and lack of skill (his only skills have been picked up from video games :D ). The teacher is picking a team on Wednesday and I think he's desperate to make an impression. Hopefully then the self preservation will kick in.
Ask Master scatshouse if they are taught in a big group and by how many teachers at the rugby le55on. Sometimes, the instructions are not clearly fo11owed in a big group and there again he has to keep his wits about him to avoid any injury.

Good luck for today.
wi11 await your report on the battle wounds
.

I'm going to catch the end of the practice today so I'll see the size of the groups and hopefully see him protecting his face.

Stevew61 wrote:
Ask a class mate with more experience to show him the techniques, gently?
Steve, I don't think my son knows the word gently :D . Hopefully as he hones his skills then the injuries will become less?
I'm used to the injuries he picks up at football but these are rarely to the face. After one game he had a big bite mark on his arm where one boy had pulled him back and bitten him in frustration :shock: . It was the facial injuries that worried me so much and one of the reasons I wouldn't let him take up boxing. From all of your replies it sounds like it is up to him to protect his face and that this comes from experience not teaching. Let's hope he learns quickly.
scatshouse
Posts: 438
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:00 am

Post by scatshouse »

Well good news (I think :? ) He's made the team. Also as far as I can tell he has no more facial injuries, although when I was trying to look he was like "Muumm, who cares anyway?". Maybe last week hurt more than he lets on and he was more careful this week.

LBSWM, there was only one teacher with 45 (ish) boys, hard to count when they're all running and diving about, so maybe he wasn't listening properly last week. On Wednesday only the ones picked will be at the practice, so that more than halves them, and maybe they can follow the instructions better.
zorro
Posts: 2076
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:27 am
Location: Barnet, Herts

Post by zorro »

One teacher for 45+ boys ? Ohmigod!
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