Introducing children to rugby: Shaping the game, retaining players and developing talent Gethin...
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Introducing children to rugby: Shaping the game, retaining players and developing talent
Gethin Thomas
Introducing children to rugby: Shaping the game, retaining players and developing talent
Gethin Thomas
Research Partner
• Rugby Football Union (RFU)
• Gary Townsend, Player Development Manager
• AIM: To increase involvement of all players during games and the number of children playing rugby.
Aims of the presentation
• Research Overview
- Background & Aims
• U7 & U9 Match Analysis
- Methods
- Results
- Discussion
• Year 2 & Year 3
Research Overview• Focus– RFU Shaping the Game: 3-year pilot project focusing on
the mini rugby game from U7 through to U11 in England.– Its impact on the development and retention of players.
• Aims – Evaluate and compare on-pitch performance of the current
games played (continuum) with the games played under the proposed new rules (pilot).
– Examine the attitudes of key ‘users’. • Mixed Methods: Quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Learning environment to allow players of all abilities to develop at their own pace. (zone of proximal development (ZPD) Vygotsky, 1978.)
• ‘Scaffolding’: skills and tactical elements introduced at an appropriate stage (Wood et al., 1976).
U7 & U8• Tag• 7v7
U9• Tackle• Scrum• Lineo
ut• Ruck• Maul• 9v9 U7
• Tag• 4v4
U8• Tag• 6v6
U9• Tackle• 7v7
U10• Scrum• 1v1
contest for ball
• 8v8
U11• Kickin
g• 2v2
contest for ball
• 9v9(T.B.C)
Continuum (AGR) Pilot
Data Collection Year 1: U7 and U9
• Behavioural Analyses (6 Counties)3 Pilot: Durham, Hampshire, Warwickshire.3 Continuum: Cheshire, Devon, Gloucestershire.
• Observations: Match AnalysisU7 26 pilot matches and 15 continuum matches.
U9 33 pilot matches and 21 continuum matches.
U7 – Key Rule Changes
Continuum Pilot
Pitch Size 60m x 30m 20m x 12m
Number of players 7 v 7 4 v 4
“Knock-On” by a player Offence – opposition ball.
No offence – play on.
• INSERT U7 CLIP – 45S
U7 Results
Tries Runs Passes Tags0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
AGR Pilot
• Both games are characterised by lots of running, with little passing.
• Basic results show little difference between both games.- The pilot had 58% more tries (p < .001).- Continuum (AGR) had 24% more tags (p = .030).
• Following Individual players.- Preliminary analysis suggests that involvements are spread out more evenly in the Pilot, where there are fewer players on the pitch.
Numbers in a standardised 10 minutes
U9 – Key Rule ChangesContinuum Pilot
Number of players 9 v 9 7 v 7
Scrums and Lineouts Yes None
Rucks and Mauls Yes None
Tackling Yes Yes1 defender only. Grasp allowed.
• INSERT U9 CLIP – 1M 15S
Number of Passes every 10 minutes
• Many significant differences with the pilot game having: - 85% more tries- Twice as many passes. - Ball in play for 22% longer.
• Increased opportunities to develop fundamental movement skills.
• More touches of the ball leads to more individual decision making.
• Longer ball in play should lead to positive fitness benefits for players (Hill-Haas, 2008; Rampinini et al., 2007).
What’s next?• Year 2: U8 and U10– Match analysis.
Team and individual.– Player feedback.– Questionnaires– Interviews of elite coaches
• Year 3: U11– Should allow for a (brief) longitudinal
comparison
Thank you – any questions?• Research presented here was conducted during an ESRC
Studentship under its Capacity Building Clusters Award (RES-187-24-0002) in partnership with the Rugby Football Union.
• For more information about this project and the work of the Centre for Sport, Leisure and Tourism research, see
• http://www.exeter.ac.uk/slt/ourresearch/rugby/• Or• http://www.rfu.com/ManagingRugby/ShapingTheGame.aspx
• Gethin Thomas, [email protected], 07866 140723.