Apr 23, 2010
Safety overkill at U-13 rugby meet
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I WAS at the under-13 (U-13) schools rugby meet on Monday and was shocked that supporters were restricted to watching the game from outside a fence.
If this was a response to the scuffles at schools rugby matches recently, the authorities overreacted and should have kept matters in perspective.
Monday's match involved much younger boys rather than teens on the brink of manhood (or who behave as if they are), like the teams involved in the scuffle in the under-17 final between Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and St Andrew's School on April 12.
When tension strikes in an U-13 match, the players are likely to end up bawling, but older boys are more likely to start brawling.
Furthermore, U-13 matches last only 20 minutes - hardly enough time for ill feelings to fester into unsportsmanlike conduct.
The absence of supporters, who typically are the teams' eager parents, took away much of the excitement of the game.
It is a pity because it was an ideal opportunity for family bonding too.
I hope the practice of segregating supporters at such meets involving boys in their formative years will stop.
Lau Wah Yuen
Safety overkill at U-13 rugby meet
<!-- by line --><!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
I WAS at the under-13 (U-13) schools rugby meet on Monday and was shocked that supporters were restricted to watching the game from outside a fence.
If this was a response to the scuffles at schools rugby matches recently, the authorities overreacted and should have kept matters in perspective.
Monday's match involved much younger boys rather than teens on the brink of manhood (or who behave as if they are), like the teams involved in the scuffle in the under-17 final between Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and St Andrew's School on April 12.
When tension strikes in an U-13 match, the players are likely to end up bawling, but older boys are more likely to start brawling.
Furthermore, U-13 matches last only 20 minutes - hardly enough time for ill feelings to fester into unsportsmanlike conduct.
The absence of supporters, who typically are the teams' eager parents, took away much of the excitement of the game.
It is a pity because it was an ideal opportunity for family bonding too.
I hope the practice of segregating supporters at such meets involving boys in their formative years will stop.
Lau Wah Yuen
