Introducing children to rugby Shaping the game retaining

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 • U 7 & U 9 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 U 7 through to U 11 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.

U 11 U 9 • Tackle • Scrum • Lineout • Ruck • Maul • 9 v 9 U 7 & U 8 • Tag • 7 v 7 Continuum (AGR) U 9 U 8 U 7 • Tag • 4 v 4 • Tag • 6 v 6 • Tackle • 7 v 7 U 10 • Scrum • 1 v 1 contest for ball • 8 v 8 • Kicking • 2 v 2 contest for ball • 9 v 9 (T. B. C) Pilot • 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).

Data Collection Year 1: U 7 and U 9 • Behavioural Analyses (6 Counties) 3 Pilot: Durham, Hampshire, Warwickshire. 3 Continuum: Cheshire, Devon, Gloucestershire. • Observations: Match Analysis U 7 26 pilot matches and 15 continuum matches. U 9 33 pilot matches and 21 continuum matches.

U 7 – Key Rule Changes Pitch Size Number of players “Knock-On” by a player Continuum Pilot 60 m x 30 m 20 m x 12 m 7 v 7 4 v 4 Offence – opposition ball. No offence – play on.

• INSERT U 7 CLIP – 45 S

U 7 Results AGR Pilot 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Tries Runs Passes Tags Numbers in a standardised 10 minutes • 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.

U 9 – Key Rule Changes Continuum Pilot Number of players 9 v 9 7 v 7 Scrums and Lineouts Yes None Rucks and Mauls Yes None Tackling Yes 1 defender only. Grasp allowed.

• INSERT U 9 CLIP – 1 M 15 S

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: U 8 and U 10 – Match analysis. Team and individual. – Player feedback. – Questionnaires – Interviews of elite coaches • Year 3: U 11 – 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/Managing. Rugby/Shaping. The. Game. aspx • Gethin Thomas, glt 201@exeter. ac. uk, 07866 140723.