This is extract from an article written earlier this year by Dr Glen Hagemann, Director of the Discovery SharkSmart Programme & President of the South African Sports Medicine Association. The full article can be found here: http://www.sharksmart.co.za/schoolsmart1204.html
Having attended and worked at this Festival in previous years, a number of thoughts come to mind. The first is the speed, accuracy and intensity that schoolboy rugby at this level is now played. Combined with boys that are large enough to have played provincial rugby in previous decades, the potential for injury is increased.
I remember treating 15 concussed players in one day at a previous Easter festival; to add balance to this perspective, however, the most serious concussion we saw on that day came from the hockey field! The stats also tell us that you are 8 times more likely to suffer a serious injury if you are a gymnast, and the injury risk of rugby falls within “acceptable norms” as determined by independent risk management experts.
It is, however, not the risk of injury that is concerning, but the pressure placed on some of these young players to perform successfully. This kind of win at all costs attitude should be misplaced at an event of this nature.
Going back to those concussed players, on that particular day I came under pressure from a few parents (and coaches) to allow their sons to play again the following day, which obviously was not in the best interests of the players’ wellbeing. The idea of a “rugby festival” where there is no overall winner and instead where participating schools are encouraged to play entertaining rugby for the enjoyment of the players and the spectators alike seems to be lost on these few adults.
This is how schoolboy rugby should be played – for its educational and enjoyment value, and not simply to ensure a high position on some ranking system. There is growing pressure countrywide to abolish any form of schoolboy rugby ranking and I support this notion.
@Grasshopper: Rankings and pressure to win will not disappear, I get that.It is the importance placed on these that needs to be changed.Especially where this pressure is coming from us old boys, teachers/coaches and parents.
When a boy first picks up a rugby ball,he’s in it for the enjoyment.We as the adults need to make sure that that is how it stays for the duration of their schoolboy careers.I mean,we all gloat here about how in our days rugby was all about fun,the pride of representing the jersey and the cammeraderie thereof.We are robbing these kids of those immeasureable pleasures by placing emphasis on things that never mattered to us when we were their age.
@Roger: Agreed, but then if the player tests positive, his parents should be liable to reimburse SARFU !
Unless this is 1984, there is no way of stopping bloggers and sites popping up where people will do rankings. I personally don’t like any sort of ranking system, but life is about winners and losers and how to win and lose graciously, so unfortunately there will always be this pressure……Agree with Roger get the drugs and age testing sorting and then the boys will all be playing on a level playing field…..
Spot on Dr Hagemann.
Schoolboy rugby has been lost in the focus of performance and climbing up rankings, and the boys having fun has become a side dish.
heh Dr Glen – here’s a thought, lets implement testing for banned substances at every rugby festival around the country, as well as all tournaments run under Sarfu’s jurisdiction, such as Craven Week, Grant Khomo Week etc. Festival organizers should not allow players to play unless the parents consent to them been tested and SARFU should foot the bill.