Topic > The issue of junior rugby players in South Africa

There has been a long heated discussion about whether junior rugby players should play rugby based on weight or age categories in South Africa, just like in Australia and New Zealand. According to Mike Lambert (2010), players' build, mental maturity, late development and risk of injury are points that should be carefully examined when deciding whether or not junior boys should play rugby based on weight or at age. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayWorld Rugby, author unknown (2013) states that introducing weight guidelines into junior rugby would prevent players from finding the position that best suits them as well as the need to take player development into account. While Lambert (2010) argues that smaller players or late developers who possess large amounts of talent may be overlooked due to their size and thus cause them to seek satisfaction in sports that do not require size, thus losing a potentially valuable player. The chances of a possible injury are significantly reduced when kids play with kids of similar weight, this is the case in all age groups. Lambert (2010) states that a discrepancy in size can be seen as unfair competition and can also be interpreted as an increase in injuries. Lambert (2010) mentions research conducted in New Zealand where it was concluded that having greater body mass is a risk factor for sustaining an injury, but in another research article the same results were not found in a test conducted with American football. Lambert (2010) and World Rugby (2013) both state that there is no circumstantial evidence to support that a player's size increases or decreases their chances of injury. TJ Gabbett (2002) wrote that research has shown that injury rates in junior rugby progress significantly from 5.3 per 1000 hours of play between the ages of six, twelve and fourteen. 9 every 1000 hours at the age of thirteen, as the child's body and mental components, such as competitiveness, develop, their aggression also increases, thus causing an increase in injuries in their age group and making the much higher chance of injury. As Lambert (2010) points out that the early development of a player has many advantages over the late development of a player as far as rugby is concerned. During puberty and pre-puberty, according to Lambert (2010), there is a wide range of sizes and weights among boys, some boys will develop much earlier than their peers. This has psychological and physical repercussions for children who develop later. Lambert (2010) gives us an example: a ten-year-old who is large for his age may be the same size as an average thirteen-year-old, despite weighing 20 kilograms heavier than another child in his age group. This boy would have an advantage over the smaller boy due to his strength and size, both important things on a rugby pitch, despite the difference in age and psychological development. World Rugby (2013), states in a similar example, that an older boy can have 10% body fat compared to a younger boy with 30% body fat and although they are the same weight, the older boy with less body fat and more muscle will have an immediate advantage over the younger guy with more body fat. World Rugby (2013) states that during puberty there is a decrease in fat and a notable increase in muscle mass, which means that boys.