The look on the face of A&E staff was one of horror and disbelief. ‘He’s playing contact rugby – at eight?’ I nodded, my son Gus’s left arm hanging uselessly by his side, his face white and pinched with pain.
Later, after we emerged from the X-ray and plaster rooms with a diagnosis of a micro-fracture to the elbow, one of the nurses from reception caught up with us. She was so concerned that she’d gone on to the RFU website, which confirmed that contact is indeed legal from Year 4. (Although the spear tackle that Gus’s friend had executed definitely isn’t.)
‘Striking a child outside of sport is abuse, but striking a child in sport is socially acceptable’
Our sons’ prep school, like many others, switches from tag to contact rugby at the start of Year 4. It wasn’t something we’d had a problem with: both boys love it (largely for the sanctioned violence and match teas) and aren’t shy about getting involved.
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