Rugby can be played by girls and boys from the age of 5 upwards. Rugby for children is a progressive sport, with the them starting off playing non-contact Tag rugby. As the they get older, the various elements that make up the full game played by seniors are gradually introduced on a year-by-year basis.

Rugby for children at Watford is organised by a Mini, Midi, Junior & Colts (MMJC)committee.

The age group a child plays in for each season is determined by their age on the 31st August. This means a child in Year 2 at school will play for the Under 7s, one in Year 3 will play for the Under 8s, and so on. They stay in their team for the season.

The following are the key milestones in rugby:

During the season (from 1st September to end April) the U7s through to the U12’s stay together for home and away fixtures and training sessions. Generally three clubs will meet at one venue, and each team will play two matches. At U13’s and up each team has a separate fixture list.

Coaches:

As at most rugby clubs, we have a compliment of RFU qualified coaches. The Coaches (as well as a few other key people) are CRB checked. Anyone can become a coach, and all those at Watford started off as ordinary parents (both with and without experience of actually playing rugby) who woke up one morning wearing one of our distinctive red Coaches Tops (well, there was a small mater of doing coaching course and passing an exam…). If you are interested in getting involved any of the coaches will happily tell you more.

The Committee:

At WRFC we have a committee to run all aspects of the MMJC section. Members of the committee work with the coaches to make sure that the players have a great time and learn rugby in a safe environment.

The bad news (money):

When a child comes to WRFC we suggest they try a couple of weeks to make sure they want to play at our club. If they decide they do, annual club membership is currently £30 for the first, and £15 for each additional child (2010/11). Players are also expected to pay a sub on match days, currently £2, but there is no cost for training sessions. We also advise holding off from buying kit until the children are sure they want to play (please see the kit officer for info on prices).

Any questions?

For more information please talk to a coach or a member of the committee.