Rugby for all

May 16, 2013

It is perhaps typical of the sport of rugby that the story of how it all began tends to stand without question as a sort of sacred truth: that towards the end of the 19^th century William Webb Ellis, a schoolboy at Rugby School, picked up a football during a match and ran with it, thus creating the game of rugby. Notwithstanding the fact that the rest of young Webb Ellis’ team would have shouted “Webby – what in heaven’s name are you doing?” or something more heated, the fact that this story has passed through the years without being questioned underpins rugby’s central tenet: that respect for rules and tradition runs deep.

In this new column, we’ll be taking a regular dip into the world of rugby, what’s going on nationally, locally and at both the senior and junior level.

A little known fact about rugby is that it is one of the world's fastest growing sports and is now the sport of choice for more than 5 million men, women and children in over 117 countries. Indeed, after the 2007 Rugby World Cup (RWC) the sport saw a staggering 350% increase in popularity in the USA. Another truism - "You'll always be welcome at a rugby club" - perhaps accounts for some of this popularity but rugby rapidly shedding its image of pot-bellied ogres rolling around in mud must also be a factor…it's not always muddy. In fact, many of the kids playing at my own club, Southend, see the sport as a serious alternative to football. Essex is not exactly renowned as a rugby county, but here and there are pockets of unquestionable excellence.

Southend’s own Mini and Youth section is particularly successful, with the current under 12 (year seven) players particularly having won enough metal ware to melt down and build a Spitfire. The club itself, which lurked dangerously around the lower end of National League Two this season but eventually lowered our collective blood pressures by climbing back into more respectable territory, must look to the future with confidence as they see the pipeline of talent working its way up.

The club has a critical interest in managing this talent properly: the psychology of younger players is very different to that of adults or even professionals, and the balance between developing players to be their best and at the same time keeping them happy, just enjoying the sport, is one we always watch carefully.

Rugby clubs everywhere are no doubt looking to 2015, the year the RWC comes to our country. Southend has its eyes on a larger club house, more playing space, a 50% increase in the number of Mini and Youth players, specialised coaching and more as we approach the big date. We’ll see another big spike in interest in the sport in the lead up to the RWC and beyond. If you or someone you know wants to play, take a look at www.southendrugby.com for information.