Logan’s Runaround - Rascals Rugby

I had a weekend packed with rugby, supporting my teams. On the telly I watched England’s win over Wales. On Twitter I followed Exeter Chiefs Women beating Loughborough and going top of the Premier 15s. In person I saw Chiefs beat second-placed Sale Sharks at Sandy Park on Sunday, having marvelled at Taunton Titans’ performance in walloping Hull 73-18 in National League One on Saturday.

Topping it all though, the greatest joy of my rugby weekend, was seeing the scores of youngsters – rugby’s future – running around Veritas Park in the sunshine on Sunday morning. Alongside them were their parents; coaching, cheering, selling cakes, drinking coffee and chatting. I knew that Taunton RFC’s Sunday rugby for juniors was a busy event but I had no idea that the overflow car park would be overflowing. Everywhere I looked was activity –and it was superb to see.

My friend’s son, Logan, was attending rugby for the first time and I was invited along to support him. When I asked Logan on Saturday how he was feeling about trying the sport for the first time, he answered with just one word. Perhaps the brevity of his response was out of disdain for my line of questioning but what he offered was at least encouraging: a simple, “Excited”. Well, come Sunday morning, that excitement was written large across his face as he ran around the main Titans pitch with a broad smile.

Four-year-olds go into the youngest age group, known as the Rascals. After a warm-up, the girls and boys are divided into three groups and rotate through three activities. This week’s fare included a tag game where the ‘tackler’ has to remove a ribbon attached to the attacker’s waist, a passing and catching team game which develops awareness of finding space on the field and a ball-carrying team relay where agility is the name of the game. Above all, the drills engendered enthusiasm for our wonderful sport and a fabulous hour of rugby was enjoyed by all, albeit interspersed with several drink breaks(hunt the water bottle) and with the occasional lapse in concentration (to work on cartwheels).  

It was an enormously social morning for the families. I chatted with Diana who has a son (Matthew) in Rascals with Logan and an older son, Daniel, in the Under 9s who had already had swimming that morning and would goon to play a game of rugby and a game of water polo  later in the day. “I don’t know where they find the energy,” she confessed, though I suspect it’s also a godsend that organised outlets like TRFC’s junior section exist for that energy to be released.

Logan’s Dad, Dave, got very involved from the touchline, encouraging the rugby debutant to get into the spaces and to block passes when defending. “I’m getting a real kick out of this,” he admitted to me. “It’s a buzz for me as a father to see my boy running around on the same pitch as the Titans play on.”

Afterwards, we spoke with Derek, one of the coaches. I asked how he got into coaching and he explained that he was “volunteered on day one by my wife. Rascals is run by a group of dads.” Derek’s lad has also taken part in training. Derek played rugby himself as a boy but hadn’t kept it up in adulthood. However, along with several other fathers of Year 1 children, he has done the online courses and training courses in order to be able to lead coaching activities. Rascals is for children in Reception and Year 1 so there will be a need for some Reception parents to take on the coaching next year when the Year 1 dads have moved up.

I asked Logan’s mum, Lydia, how they went about making contact with the rugby club. “We just dropped the club an email and we took it from there. They really welcomed us as parents as well as Logan.”

As he tucked into a post-training sausage roll, I asked Logan what he thought of it. Initially lacking in loquacity, he told me it was “Good” before expanding with, “I had fun”. He did go on to say, “I loved doing all the different things, especially running with the tags. I liked being a tagger.” All of which is a big thumbs-up for rugby. Wait, there was more. Rugby is “about just having fun. I’ll come again. Rugby is lovely.” Then the big prediction, “I’m going to play for England.” He wouldn’t be the first from the junior ranks at Taunton RFC to make that grade.

Unlike the League and 6 Nations games I watched over the weekend, there were no victories and defeats amongst the Rascals on Sunday. There were definitely winners though. Every smiling face was a win for rugby. Every squeal of delight a breakthrough for the game. TRFC’s youth section mayor may not unearth Titans and internationals of the future but the social, physical and mental benefits of young girls and boys like Logan enjoying a Sunday morning run around are immeasurable.

If you have a youngster who would like to give rugby ago, get in touch with Taunton RFC by emailing rugby@tauntonrfc.co.uk

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