Another coach here (U10s). Probably 25% of our kids wear scrum caps and that's a mix of our better/fearless/apprehensive/less skilled kids. My lad refuses to wear one.
Kitwise, at this age I think the gumshield fit is the only important thing + keeping warm in the depths of winter (skins etc).
Technique for safe & confident tackling (low down, cheek to cheek etc) is key plus keeping it fun so they come back 😉
The first thing to accept is that your kid is going to get injured. No point denying it, no point trying to stop it. Its part of growing up playing contact sports (or climbing trees/being a kid).
I wore a cap for many years, had my ear torn off aged 10 and wore it afterwards to give me some confidence. And growing up playing league in the north with hailstones bouncing off my swede every Sunday morning for 3 months a year I was glad of a bit of warmth!
As to whether a "bit of neoprene will stop serious injuries", no it won't, but then again they're not getting hit by cars. Head clashes hurt, and a cap will certainly ensure you aren't any worse off than you could have been. I imagine a few bangs to the head without a cap will quickly put your son off playing, a cap may help keep him engaged.
Further to my post above, our lads have been playing contact for two full seasons now and thankfully we have had only a handful of head injuries and zero concussions.
So based on my experience (YMMV etc) I would say that with the ages I've coached a scrum cap is little benefit. Even the RFU state that scrum caps are only good for abrasion protection.
My children aren't old enough to play yet so I don't have any recent experience of children's rugby but I have played for nearly 3 decades and still enjoy the odd vets run out.
I've had a few concussions over the years (I forget exactly how many...) which used to be a bit of an occupational hazard if you were doing your job as a decent openside but the only season where I had more than 4 and had to end the season early on medical advice was the one in which I wore a scrum cap.
I don't think this is a coincidence - wearing a scrum cap can encourage poor technique and make it more likely that you'll lead with your head as you (wrongly) feel invincible, it also hurts the opposition less if they make contact with an elbow or knee; hopefully the latter's not an issue in mini rugby.
Taping will prevent cauliflower ears caused by rubbing if that's a concern although a direct blow to the ear will still cause swelling and ultimately the classic cauliflower if you continue to play.
My advice is that scrum caps may reduce minor injuries (cuts and bruises) but they encourage techniques that make major ones (concussion, neck injuries) more likely and should therefore be avoided at any age group.
def wear one, then when he's old enough to make up his own mind, he can chose not to
Amazing how many managed to play without getting injured. I had loads of concusions (explains a lot) as well as ankle and shoulder sprains and a few dislocated knee caps that led me to jack it in at uni. Played from mini's up as a flanker mostly. Taped my ears when I played 8. Sad thing is i can hardly cycle now I'm 41 and cannot run as in not 10 yards. Guess I'll not encorage my son to play.
dr from WRU on bbc website saying scrum caps dont help with concussion.
My son is 17 and plays wing/outside centre. He refuses to wear one but he does like his padded undershirt to give his torso protection.
I never wore any kind of protection at school. The nurse says I'm doing OK considering.
Blimey, still going! Thanks folks. It's been good to hear from a wide range of people with lots of practical experience. A very un-STW-like thread! 🙂
Even though I'm still tending towards no, for now, I will be a lot more open to what my young man thinks too...it may end up being a fashion/in with the crowd decision more than anything.
Forgot to mention gumshields. No shield, no play is our absolute rule. If you can afford a dentist-fitted one, then get one. Comfort, fit, and a snazzy design means they will keep wearing it, but make sure you help them to manage it...... insisting on showing it to you before and after every game, and keep it in its box. They don't look good or fit very well once they've been through a hot wash in shorts pockets....
will be getting a gum shield but that's it
I thought gum shields were standard from the word go? They were compulsory for us at school.
Lads with scrum caps got laughed at. Except the really big tank like lad who was a gentle giant but christ he would snap and punch bullies in the face with no notice! Good times!
Compression layers were unheard of until later years but they are one thing I would be getting my lad (or girl) to wear under a lighter weight jersey. Not the twin layer lead weight when wet things we used to have to wear.
One of my biggest 'regrets' of school was getting badly injured (neck) and then never going back in for the team.
Coach under 11s, eldest plays scrum half and wore it when he was starting out, it stops a multitude of little grazes especially knocks to the ears on cold days. He still wears his on freezing cold days for warmth more than anything.
Younger wears it now (U11) he plays hooker - old rules, 5 man scrums. My opinion is that while it doesn't protect against injury it does protect against the things that often have the kids coming off hurt and crying. From a coaches point of view this is a good thing and must increase the kids enjoyment and confidence.
Why are so many adament against shoulder pads? I've always got a lot of 'stingers' so I wouldn't consider playing without them.
If the pitch is muddy and gritty I wear a scrum hat (playing no 8) to stop the abrasian but I don't bother if pitch is OK. I have had one ear sringed and have slight cauliflower ear, so when scrummaging starts I would definitely encourage it.
Also, when we were kids my mum made us wear our gum shields in the house to get used to wearing them.
Amazing that we were able to play from 8-18 without scrum caps, padding armour and with tackling from the off. Even gum guards were an oddity when I started wearing one aged 9. I had the oissed ripped out of me for being the first to wear one.
When my younger son was playing tag, it was funny that the younger brothers who were used to full tackling their big brothers at home, often forget at school and simply tackled the oppo! The mayhem was hilarious!!! Even some of the sisters were happy tackling their brothers.
My daughter plays and has for the past few years.
I bought her a scrum cap but she tried it and decided to not wear it. She recently started playing at a higher level and thought it might give her confidence as the tackles are harder and she found it did.
Wife's view was you must wear it. My view was her choice but make sure you understand the consequences.
Played from age 7 through until about 30.
Was a prop (3-man scrums!) in minis, number 8 in midis & juniors, then when I started playing seniors, it was noticed that I was quick, so ended up playing wing for most of my senior career. As my formative years had been spent in the forwards, this was mostly in a "Run, Stevo, Run!" style...
Caps were unheard-of when I played minis, then become more popular with 2nd rows and hookers once we started playing full scrums. I wouldn't dream of buying one if I went back to playing now, unless I was playing 2nd row and wouldn't be fussed about getting one for my (hypothetical) kids either.
Still miss it. My Mrs has actually just started playing touch at our local club, but the guys only play full-contact 7s (we live in a small town in the Alps...) so I am currently resisting getting involved...
From personal experience of playing from 7 to 32 I'd not promote scrum caps for every player. Front 5 when the kids start playing scrums, otherwise no.
Gum shields OTOH from the time they start tackling. Compression vest and shorts for the winter months just because of muscle strains if the kids are get cold whilst waiting to get involved.
I'd also like to see a return to rugby boots, rather than football boots. There's not enough support in football slippers and no protection from another players studs. I used to have my brothers old football shin pads, the ones with the ankle protection, and cut the shin pads out. Too many times of having the scrum half stud me in the ruck, or the opposition scrum half treading on my ankles trying to get round the scrum.
Guess I'll not encorage my son to play.
Failed!
Most common rugby injury is an ankle sprain followed by separated shoulder
Proves I can't get anything right, I had a shoulder sprain and a separated ankle. Fractured a cheek bone, cracked my coccyx in half. It's bloody dangerous at outside centre I tell thee...
Good thread though. Kj01 is in his second season at 6.5, and I keep wondering about scrum caps, the little burgers are always running into each other.
Nice random resurrection Stevo! You could take on those frenchies, get Romain on your side, it'll be fine.
As we're here, Edward is loving rugby without a scrumcap. He doesn't see the need and we're happy with that.
Haha, it's that weird threads-in-the-ads thing that got me (what's going on with that?).
I need to keep telling myself that I am carrying far too many injuries and have way too much to lose from getting a bad one / angering an existing one...
