U13s: RFUW blunder on...

In all the excitement and good news flowing from the international scene, many of us may have forgotten about the RFUW's bid to torpedo the very system that has ensured that England have a world beating U20 team.

The U13 shambles staggers on, as confirmed in the latest newsletter. The one concession - allowing U12s with previous experience to play U15 rugby next season (but only next season) remains, but the ears have remained closed to all other appeals.

So, in a very few weeks time, a whole new game will be introduced. A game with no coherent set of  published rules, no trained coaches, no trained officials, and no sign of any of the promised training materials (well, not that I have heard).  A game that is being sold as a form of glorified tag or touch - which can be coached by people with only tag qualifications - but which, in some interpretations of the if those rules we have seen, would seem to allow for significant levels of contact.

But all this has been said before - it makes no difference - because this is nothing to do with improving the game - we only have to look at what has happened in California this week to see that there isn't much wrong with junior girls' rugby in England if it produces players like that! It has everything to do with sports politics and money - and, I suspect, of RFUW having to show the RFU its making an effort, even though most of the loss of player numbers is a men's problem.