Is playing rugby really a form of child abuse?

Researchers this week said crunching collisions inherent in the sport are damaging to the brains of children. On a weekend when thousands of children will be inspired by watching their heroes on the pitch, Jim White looks at what schools and clubs are doing to reassure parents

The number of parents opting their children out of rugby is growing (iStock)

Many moons ago, soon after William Webb Ellis first picked up the ball and ran with it, a visitor arrived at Rugby School at the invitation of Frederick Temple, the headmaster. Temple thought his guest might be intrigued by the new ball game being played on the school fields. So the two of them stood on the sidelines as a session of what was soon to become known as rugby got underway. And the visitor was immediately taken aback by the violence on display. So much so, as he winced at the collisions and punch-ups, the smashes and smack-downs, he inquired of Temple whether he was ever moved to intervene to reduce the mayhem.

“Never,” came the reply. “Short of manslaughter.”

Two hundred years on from when Webb Ellis first did his bit of juggling, these days it is safe to say things are somewhat different. Or at least they are at St Edward’s in Oxford, one of England’s leading rugby schools, where the 800 pupils chuck a ball around up to five times a week.