Rugby boots and football boots...

[Marylou]

Daft question from a first-time mum of secondary-school boy...is it really necessary to have different boots for rugby and football? I know that football boots have studs in but my DS had some with removable studs when he played junior league. He's never shown the slightest interest in rugby and probably won't do anything with it outside games lessons!

Any advice appreciated.

[Twinkle]

My DS goes to a school where rugby is very important etc . However it is perfectly acceptable at his school to wear football boots with rugby studs and he does. This means he can interchange the studs as and when necessary and I think that football boots are also cheaper than rugby boots. They are also apparently more comfortable. The same is true at the local rugby club. What the boys are not allowed to do at school is to wear football boots with moulded studs but I don't know whether this is the norm. I suggest that you speak to other parents at the school and see what they say the rules are or ring the school office.

[faitaccompli]

I have never found a school which did not allow football boots for rugby - providing you have the correct studs. They generally don't care if you use rugby studs for football, but you must have the correct studs for rugby.

However, every school has different rules, so may be worth checking with someone who knows (for example, the school shop always tells people they need rugby boots AND football boots, whereas the head of games for the school says football boots are fine with the correct studs ...)

[Marylou]

Thanks folks! Have just had another look at the list and it recommends football boots with moulded studs as they can be used on the astroturf pitches as well...doesn't say anything about rugby boots, so I assume he can get by with footie boots for the time being. I must have remembered that from a previous letter for the girls but ignored it as it didn't apply to us at the time! I remember a discussion somewhere about separate boots for hockey and football, which is something I do think is a good idea for girls as hockey boots offer protection around the ankles - very practical if, like me in my schooldays, one's ankles seem to exert a strange magnetic force on ball and multiple sticks... We got around it for DDs by buying shin guards with built-in ankle protectors, which they wore with ordinary footie boots.

In the unlikely event that DS decides he really likes rugby and has ambitions to become the next Jonny Wilkinson we might think again, but I doubt it somehow as he once declared that the reason his favourite team sport is cricket is because you don't have to play it when it's raining...

[aliportico]

Not a daft question at all, or perhaps I'm just daft too Had no idea about these things until a couple of weeks ago. Ds is doing rugby this term and football the next - so as his feet seem to be growing at an alarming rate, I decided I wasn't going to worry in August about whether he could wear three same shoes in January, and just went for straightforward rugby boots. Has all been very educational, I suppose ...

[doodles]

They generally don't care if you use rugby studs for football

Sorry but this is really wrong - my DS has been stopped from playing as he had the wrong studs - for football you have safety studs and rugby studs tend to be all metal. Have just bought DS's boots which came with rugby studs and another set of studs for football (£4.95)

[faitaccompli]

It is fine, except when they are playing football AND rugby several times in the same week. From what I have understand, rugby studs are a different shape to football ones, therefore, due to the speed of turns etc in football, it could cause an injury. My son (at 11 years old) weighs just on the four stone mark, so is not actually heavy enough to make a difference in how deep the studs go into the ground. In fact, there are occasions when I make him use his astro shoes for football if the ground is very hard, as he is not heavy enough to get the studs to go into the ground (if that makes sense?) He is more likely to get an injury using the studs on very hard ground as it is like walking on concrete!

We have horses that compete on various types of ground conditions, and have studs for all occasions so I confess to having more than a slight interest in them!

It is dangerous to use football studs for rugby as they have points on the end and I have seen some nasty raking injuries on a child that has tackled another child wearing football studs.

However - each school has their own rules.

Fortunately, with my son playing in both rugby and football teams in the same week over a period of time, the school was happy for him not to be continuously changing studs (thereby losing at least one - on each changeover plus wrecking the threads).

If the above is wrong, then let me know and I will report the findings back to the various rugby "specialists" that have been advising me!

[doodles]

All I know is that my DS has been stopped from playing football when his boots had the rugby studs in and not the required football safety studs.

[Mindset]

All I know is that my DS has been stopped from playing football when his boots had the rugby studs in and not the required football safety studs.

Yep, generally football studs won't cause a problem in rugby, but the other way round would. My son always has the interchangeable type, and carries the little key and spare studs. Rugby is a great game, I hope your son enjoys having a go at it. M

[faitaccompli]

Sorry - you are wrong! Football studs in rugby are a BIG no no - they are dangerous and can cause severe injury to other players!