U12/Year 8 club rugby

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De-aRt
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U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by De-aRt »

Hi there - I'm a new user to the UAFC so please be gentle!!

Basically I'm looking some information from all you very clever people regarding U12/Year 8 club rugby as my young lad will be finishing Mini Rugby next year (2018) at Lisburn and won't be attending a grammar school for his post-primary education. He loves his rugby and, whilst trying really hard not to be biased, he shows quite a lot of potential and skill (much more than his aul dad ever did!!). His mini rugby year group at Lisburn seems to be a result of some strange genetic mutation in that there is a proliferation of really talented 10/11 year olds all in the same locality and they play really well together. Unfortunately most of these kids are aiming for the local or Belfast grammar schools and thus won't be around to play at Lisburn which is a shame as if these kids were able to be kept together they could develop into a formidable unit!

I'm a blow-in to the area who gave up rugby at 17 when drink, fegs and weemin took over my ambitions, so I have no real knowledge of youth club rugby in the Belfast/Lisburn/Co. Down areas at all. Our kid would obviously love to become a professional rugby player and play for Ulster etc in a perfect world as I'm sure a lot of 10 year olds would and while this may never happen I would like to give him the best opportunity to play as high a level of rugby as he can achieve by getting him into a good club with a strong youth section for him to progress through. This is no slight on Lisburn RFC at all but their youth system may not be as advanced as some others.

So after that long preamble I'm looking some advice on a club with a well established youth development pathway - even as far as Ulster U18 and and Academy possibilities (I know it may only be a dream but you have to aim high, right?!!) I'm hearing good things about Ballynahinch RFC and my young fella has hinted that he may want to try them out instead of staying at Lisburn. There's also the possibility of Belfast clubs like Instonians, Cooke and Malone as well as Banbridge as its further away but easy travelling down the A1.

Apologies again for the length of this post from a new user and thanks for reading.

Cheers
Ron
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Russ
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Re: U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by Russ »

Banbridge within distance for you of a Saturday?

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Dave
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Re: U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by Dave »

If you want your kid to get into the UR Academy, he needs to play for methody or bra. Rugby isn't safe. Try eSports.
I have my own tv channel, what have you got?
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Russ
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Re: U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by Russ »

Have you considered Dromore High?

They play rugby weekly against all the big grammars and are nlw in the schools cup

Tyrone Howe cant be wrong. Can he?

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moyletra
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Re: U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by moyletra »

Just be careful about living vicariously through your son.

Go to your local club, it doesn't need to be senior club. Let your son enjoy his rugby. If he is a coachable learner, self motivated, develops a rugby brain and steps up as a leader he will stand out to his coaches.

Join as a member and take him to club matches. He'll learn from watching that level. The club will have a CDO/CCRO who works with local non grammar schools.

But whatever you do just enjoy supporting his enjoyment of the game. Whatever the outcome is you'll have better memories to look back. Ditto his memories with you.

Good luck

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jean valjean
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Re: U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by jean valjean »

Dromore (club) would also be a good call. Have always had a good youth set up and the talent ID is spreading its wings to all clubs in ulster.

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Russ
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Re: U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by Russ »

jean valjean wrote:Dromore (club) would also be a good call. Have always had a good youth set up and the talent ID is spreading its wings to all clubs in ulster.

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Much better than Hinch anyway

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De-aRt
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Re: U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by De-aRt »

Many thanks for all the replies folks - don't worry, I'm not trying to live vicariously through my son either. :D He is pretty talented and this has been mentioned by his coaches at the Minis and also the ulster coaches who run the summer camps. He does enjoy his rugby and I want him to keep enjoying it but also would like him to receive decent coaching and to get the opportunity to play at a reasonable level too.

Russ - unfortunately we live outside the Dromore High School catchment area, which they have reduced greatly due to to over subscription over the last few years, otherwise it would be a no-brainer. Banbridge is also an option and Dromore RFC too. Pardon my ignorance on these things but why do you say that Dromore RFC would be better than Hinch by the way? Like I said I'm not originally from these parts so don't know the clubs that well. :scratch:

Thanks again for taking the time to reply. :thumleft:
Ron
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Tap+Go
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Re: U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by Tap+Go »

Link to Youth section of Ulster website has some club rankings - though doesn't look completely up to date (15/16 season). Should add some context re the competitiveness of the various club youth sections at that point - though could obviously swing year on year depending on the year groups. Also you could check out results from the youth leagues & cups (annual finals days at the Kingspan each year & Dromore seem to regularly do fairly well in these).
http://www.ulsterrugby.com/rugby-in-uls ... -rugby.php

However key is to find a club you & your son can feel part of & where he can enjoy his rugby.
De-aRt
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Re: U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by De-aRt »

Cheers Tap+Go - I agree the most important part is his enjoyment and feeling part of it all. I'll enjoy watching him no matter what club he plays for. He's been lucky to have been part of a great wee bunch of players at Lisburn Minis and he still has his P7 year to go with them. He may well decide to stay at Lisburn as he will more than likely be attending a Lisburn secondary school and there may be some crossover with the players who he will play with there as well.
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ColinM
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Re: U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by ColinM »

Keep him where he started enjoying the game, if he stops enjoying it (maybe hi mates leave and they start getting humped every week), then is the time to look. It would be worse if you moved him for the sake of lofty ambitions at age 11, and the move turned out to be the thing that puts him off
De-aRt
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Re: U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by De-aRt »

Thanks for the reply ColinM - staying at Lisburn would be a convenient solution indeed. His issue with that is that his Mini group there have been very successful (and yes I know it's supposed to be non-competitive but try telling these kids that when they know if they've won or lost!!) and the majority of the lads are looking to attend Wallace High or Friends or Inst so he'll probably not be playing alongside them anyway. I agree it would be bad to move him to another club and that in itself ends up spoiling the whole rugby experience for him. It might be best to have a few wee chats and see what Lisburn have planned for their youth setup and also chat to some of the other clubs coaches during his final mini season.

Cheers again
De-aRt
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Re: U12/Year 8 club rugby

Post by De-aRt »

jean valjean wrote:Dromore (club) would also be a good call. Have always had a good youth set up and the talent ID is spreading its wings to all clubs in ulster.

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Dromore would certainly be an option all right - along with Lisburn (obviously),Hinch and Banbridge. Had a chat with a guy at work who's young lad is U14 at Instonians and has been involved with the Ulster Youth setup as well so Instonians would be an option too.
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