What is the half a game initiative?
The half a game initiative is a recommendation that encourages clubs to pledge half a game of rugby to every junior player, every weekend. The initiative is breaking new ground for rugby in Wales and separates it from other sports.
The let us play campaign aims to give exposure to the game at a grassroots level. The parent charter is a list of expectations that a player and their parent/guardian can expect from our game. The half a game initiative will form an integral part in this moving forward. By introducing this regulation we are looking to make it clear to all players and parent/guardians involved in the game.
The initiative is supported across Wales via all Junior District Associations.
From a long-term club perspective… You've got to spend time developing all players so they are still going to be playing once they reach senior level in your club. (Gwent JDA)
I think every season we have attempted to adhere to this; but maybe other teams we play (not naming any names, or pointing any fingers) will also follow this initiative this season....
FAQs can be found on the WRU site : CLICK HERE
Just a quick comment on this following on from discussions we had last year around the topic. Plus to start the ball rolling on here!
ReplyDeleteGiven we have a range of abilities in the squad I’m sure JP needs to think about the composition of the team on the pitch so it can still be competitive as well as positively rather than negatively affect the skill development and enjoyment of the players. Sometimes in the past this has been problematic, e.g. when we’ve just had enough numbers to make 2 teams with no subs and several new/ developing players.
The idea I came across that made sense to me was that the coach first categorises his players based on their skillset. This could be done in several ways. One would be based on tackling ability, fundamental as it is to the game of rugby. So you might assign those that can’t or are unwilling to tackle yet in a game situation as ‘developing’ players. We have a few of these still.
You then have a core team and the ‘developing’ players rotate as subs during matches so there are only 1 or 2 of them in the team at a time, until they progress their skills sufficiently to be members of the core team. Why? Having too many ‘developing’ players in the team at one time is unfair both to them and also to his/ her currently more experienced team mates. The opposition will target someone not prepared to tackle, runs backwards, throws passes without looking, etc. etc.
How does this tie into the half a game initiative? Well, if this idea is followed and on a given day there are lots of ‘developing’ players in the squad it might be problematic to give them all a game. Hopefully unlikely, but possible.
This might not even apply to CRCC u11s this year but I know we had a few related issues last year.
One thing this definitely highlights to me is the importance of JP knowing well in advance from the parents exactly who is turning up for games so he can decide the number (possibly) and constitution of his teams, which may also be dependent on the expected quality of the opposition.