Tackling rugby as a family

Tackling rugby as a family

Of all the previously adult male dominated sports nowadays welcoming women and young children in large numbers, none are doing so with more gusto than rugby.

Amongst the clubs playing a particularly good family game is Newbury Rugby Club, which has no fewer than 400 mini and junior members plus thriving women’s sides. Go there on a Saturday morning and you will find children, parents and even grandparents joining in a game of touch rugby!

“The beautiful thing about rugby is that there is a place in the game for every physique,” says Alan McDermott, who has been Mini Group Chairman since 2013. “It doesn’t matter what your size or shape, there will be a role for you and you will get a lot from it.”

Youngsters can start when they reach school age and continue as a ‘mini player’ until the age of 13 before moving on to junior level. Newcomers are encouraged to simply go along to the club on any Sunday morning between 9.30 and 11am where they are introduced to an age-specific manager and coaches as well as other young players. The level of physicality grows in stages, with no contact in early years and gum shields only introduced at age ten. Girls and boys play as a group until the age of 11, when girls become independent.

“Rugby is no longer seen as the public school game it once was,” says Alan. “Players have become celebrities in the same way as footballers, and there is a terrific family dynamic.”

Alan is concerned that sedentary video games are taking over from active sport and that

schools are increasingly moving away from physical education. “I have seen many young players, including my own two, develop a healthy interest in a better lifestyle, through the game of rugby,” he says.

The family drive comes from a club that was founded in 1928 but continues to progress, both on and off the field. The men’s first XV finished top of its division and was promoted last season, while the senior women are also high achievers. The female membership is one of the largest around, the club’s commitment to women having been recognised by being asked to host two under-20 internationals last season.

Players, coaches and spectators are all welcome. For membership information, contact Alan McDermott on 07939 155887 or g7amd@hotmail.com