Rugby Union 2020

So everyone’s back at school but can the rugby season start in schools and at rugby clubs?

The answer is ‘yes’ thanks to #ready4rugby but it will look a bit different if you’re used to contact rugby BUT remember, each school and club will take a different approach when deciding whether to start rugby again.

Look out for ‘Pitch up for Rugby’ at your local club which could be running an event about the return to rugby on the weekend of 12/13 September.

Here’s a great video from the RFU explaining everything.

That’s great theory but how about we let Eddie Jones talk us through this new game...

As we go to press, the RFU has announced that some contact rugby has been approved and clubs can organise non contact fixtures. Your school and/or club will be made aware of the details.

Take a look at our guide for the non contact game:

U7’s and U8’s

If your school or club is starting rugby again, your game will look pretty similar to last season except you won’t have a tag. Instead you need to touch the other team’s player who has the ball on the waist or below in order to tackle them. The ball carrier then must stop and can either pass or decide to run again until a second tackle’s made. You will play for 15 minutes continuous play.

U9’s – U13

Attack zone is recommended as the half way line.
Each team has an attacking zone in front of the try line. Once in the attacking zone your team has 4 phases to score a try.
If no try is made then there’s a turnover.
A try equals 1 point.
Once touch tackled the player with the ball can run, pass or kick. However, you can only kick when in the attacking zone!
Once touch tackled that player cannot score a try.
After a second touch by two different defenders, the ball carrier must throw the ball above his/her head and catch it before passing it to another member of the team.
Teams can be mixed – boys and girls
If kicking the ball must travel below head height.

Detailed information for coaches and parents is available on Englandrugby.com here

Match Officials

Have you ever thought about becoming a match official?

If you’re a fan of rugby you will probably have seen the International Referee Wayne Barnes making big decisions on the pitch. Wayne refereed at the Rugby World Cup in Japan and also won World Rugby’s Referee of the Year in 2019.

We think there must be a number of you who are interested in becoming a referee so we spoke to Wayne about how he got started and his career so far.

Q and A Wayne Barnes

Did you play rugby before you became a referee?

I come from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. It’s a beautiful part of the world and the people are also very passionate about rugby. I played my first game when I was about 6 or 7 and loved being part of a team from an early age.

What position did you play?

To start with, you don’t really have a position, it was all about having fun and making new friends. By the time I was playing for my school, I played in the second row; it helps that I am 6”3! The great thing about rugby is that it is a game for everyone; tall and short, fast and slow, girls and boys.

Who was your favourite rugby player when you were growing up?

I used to love watching Martin Johnson, the former England captain play. He was the captain of England when we won the Rugby World Cup in 2003. I refereed him at the start of my career at Leicester Tigers, the club at which he played. Towards the end of the match, I had to penalise him and give him a yellow card. As I did, I said “I’m very sorry Sir”!

Was rugby always your favourite sport?

I grew up in a rugby playing village and loved watching and playing the game. All of my best friends played it too. But I loved trying out other sports too. Cricket, football, squash, I gave them all a go, but always found I kept coming back to rugby.

When did you decide to become a referee?

I got injured playing rugby which meant I couldn’t play for over a year. I kept watching my local village team play until a friend of my dad, who was a referee, suggested I gave it a go. So I did and really enjoyed it. At university, I played for my University team on a Wednesday and continued to referee on the weekend. It allowed me to be part of University sport, but also continue to improve my refereeing.

How do you become a referee?

Back when I started, I was given a whistle and told go and try it out. It was a bit of a shock being a 15 year old refereeing a game of 30 men all older than me. Now, it is a lot different and the Rugby Football Union has some fantastic courses and trainers, so that if you are interested you can go along, learn about the game and then give it a go with a supporting hand. Then it becomes really fun as you travel to new clubs and schools meeting different people and seeing different teams.

Which is your favourite rugby stadium in the world?

The Principality Stadium at Cardiff is very special. I have refereed there lots of times including Wales v Ireland, Wales v New Zealand and a Rugby World Cup Quarter Final. The stadium has a roof, so the noise is deafening. The Welsh fans love to sing, so it makes for a fantastic atmosphere; particularly when the Welsh win.

Do you have a special pre-match routine?

Referees cannot referee a game on their own. It is too fast and there is too much going on. Now there are two assistant referees, a video referee and officials to help with all of the substitutions. Therefore, in the lead up to a match, it is about making sure that your team is clear on their roles and that I am clear on how I can help them perform to the best of their ability. Therefore, in the lead up to a game, I spend most of it talking to my team.

What’s the most challenging part of being a rugby referee?

Being a referee means you travel quite a lot. I have been to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Fiji and Samoa to name just a few. It is a great way to travel the world. However, it means you are away from home quite a lot and now I have 2 children, it means I cannot see them for quite a long period of time. Recently, I went to Japan for the Rugby World Cup and was away from home for 10 weeks.

What has been your favourite moment so far as a rugby referee?

I have refereed at 4 World Cups and every one is so special. France in 2007, New Zealand in 2011 and Japan last year. In 2015, the World Cup was held in England and I was one of the 12 referees appointed to the tournament. I refereed at Wembley and at Villa Park but when I refereed the quarter and semi final matches, the games were played at Twickenham. I live in Twickenham so I was able to walk to the game with my team and take in the atmosphere with all of the fans.

With thanks to England Rugby for the use of videos in this article.