Bahrain Rugby Club Brings Non-Contact Rugby to Schools

Rugby is coming to Bahrain's classrooms. Bahrain Rugby Club has launched a youth rugby initiative that brings the sport into local schools, and for parents it is a simple, low-pressure way to get children aged 12 to 14 moving, learning a new skill and trying a team sport many have never played. The programme uses a non-contact version of the game, so there is no tackling to worry about, and there is a genuine push to bring girls onto the pitch alongside the boys.

In this article

1. What the BRC school rugby initiative involves
2. What is T1, the non-contact rugby being used?
3. What a sport like rugby builds for a growing body
4. How your child can take part

What the BRC school rugby initiative involves

According to the Gulf Daily News, the two-week programme is aimed at children aged 12 to 14 who have little or no rugby experience, and it uses World Rugby's T1 format. Eight schools have already shown interest, more than 200 students are expected to take part, and the whole thing finishes with a festival at the club. There is a particular focus on getting girls involved, so this is as much for daughters as for sons.

It is a team effort off the pitch as well. The initiative is run by Bahrain Rugby Club with the Bahrain Rugby Football Association and Hartpury University, backed by the Bahrain Olympic Committee and sponsored by Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait. BRC chairman John Docherty said rugby has always been about much more than what happens on the pitch, pointing to respect, discipline, teamwork and commitment as the values the sport teaches.

What is T1, the non-contact rugby being used?

T1 is the format at the heart of the programme, and it is what makes rugby a safe first step for a complete beginner. World Rugby, which created T1 with its member unions, describes it as a simple non-contact game that removes tackling while keeping the parts that make rugby feel like rugby.

• Tackles are replaced with a touch or a flag pull, so there is no heavy contact.
• It is played seven-a-side on a half-pitch, which keeps everyone close to the ball.
• It still includes scrums, lineouts, kicking and passing, so children learn the real skills.
• Teams can be mixed, with boys and girls playing together across a range of ages and abilities.
• World Rugby says players in its trials picked up the rules in about 20 minutes.

That low barrier is the point. A child who has never held a rugby ball can be playing a recognisable game within a single session, which takes the fear out of a first try.

What a sport like rugby builds for a growing body

Beyond the fun, there is a strong case for simply getting children more active. The World Health Organization recommends at least an average of 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity for young people aged 5 to 17, spread across the week, plus muscle and bone strengthening on at least three days. A fast, running team game like non-contact rugby ticks several of those boxes at once, much as a structured group fitness class does for older teens and adults.

Rugby asks the whole body to work together: sprinting and changing direction, passing and catching under a little pressure, staying balanced and reading the space around you. For a 12 to 14 year old that mix builds coordination, stamina and confidence, and it does it as play rather than as a chore. These are trainable movements, and our exercise library breaks down the basics for anyone who wants to practise between sessions. Just as important, a team sport gives children a group to belong to and a reason to keep turning up each week.

How your child can take part

For now the route in is through school. With eight schools already interested and the programme built around the school day, the simplest first step is to ask whether your child's school is joining in, or to let a teacher or head of PE know there is interest. Families who want to go further can look into the junior and youth rugby already run at Bahrain Rugby Club, and keep an eye out for the end-of-programme festival.

Helping your child build a lifelong habit of staying active is one of the best things you can do for their health, and leading by example helps it stick. When your teenager is ready for a gym of their own, our student memberships are built for that age, and parents can join GymNation to stay active alongside them. Fill in the enquiry form and the GymNation team will be glad to talk through family-friendly ways to keep moving all year round.

Sources:
gdnonline.com
world.rugby
insidethegames.biz
who.int

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.