Junior Rugby

This Sunday we went to Nagle Park to see junior rugby.  I was really surprised at how many little kids are playing such a violent sport, but I also couldn’t help but notice how cute they all looked running around.  I guess it’s a cultural difference, but every time I saw the little eight year-olds tackle and smash into each other, I was incredibly surprised.  There is such a difference in America, where parents are nervous about their children playing football in helmets and pads.  I noticed how athletic the kids seemed and how aggressive they were at such a young age.  I thought it was a stretch that they would be so willing to hit each other, but then I also saw how much teamwork was involved with the kids.  When a young kid ran like crazy across the field for a try, his teammate gave him a hug after.  Even though the kids are in such an aggressive sport, it’s easy to see that they are building teamwork skills and character; the refs were even really supportive and helpful with teaching the kids the game.

Another aspect of this junior rugby league that I noticed was how many parents were there, supporting their kids and cheering them on.  It reminded me of when I was younger and had soccer games every weekend; families would come out and support their kids at the park all day.  I thought that there would be mainly dads at the park, but I noticed it wasn’t very specific to dads or moms; it was a very good mix of each parent or in most cases, both were there.  All the parents seemed very positive and encouraging to all the kids.  It was definitely a learning atmosphere for all the kids.