Tweets from Harlequins and England scrumhalf Danny Care and his former teammate Mike Brown, and the debate which it created, has highlighted the disconnect between professional players and coaches/parents.
Care revealed that during a recent U8/U9 rugby tournament that his son was competing in, there were no scores kept and no knockout stages or winners.
"Just watched our son play in a School Rugby festival," he wrote.
Where no scores were recorded or any knock out rounds/winners etc. Most parents seemed fairly confused as to why, as in other sports at this age (U8&U9) competition is normally encouraged. Interested to hear ppl’s opinions
His former Harlequins and England teammate Mike Brown replied with "Ridiculous", while former Ireland prop Mike Ross had a more reasoned response.
"Been a while since I coached u8 but if I recall correctly we did keep score for matches with opposition," said Ross. "For internal games, I didn't bother but of course the kids kept track"
Mike Brown And Danny Care Reactions Show A Difference In Thinking With Coaches And Parents
Ridiculous 😤
— Mike Brown (@mikebrown_15) March 3, 2023
READ HERE: An All-Time Irish Rugby XV With No Two Players From The Same County
Parents and coaches responded, and gave the other side to the argument, explaining that not keeping score helps with participation levels and enjoyment.
"It's a great way to run sport and keeps kids interested. Also helps with retention as no kids are getting hammered every week. U13/14 is time enough to add a competitive edge", one wrote, while another said, "Focus was on participation, not competition. In Ireland, this is the case up to and including U12. And it works."
It is an interesting discussion, but surely at such a young age, participation levels should be a priority.
We could miss out on a future superstar if they fell out of love with the sport because of the intensity and competitiveness of it.
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