Can I play rugby or am I too small?

MadDog1999

I am a male 16 year old and I am 5ft 2inches and I weigh 9 stone.I have a huge interest in rugby and I want to play it as I want to take up a sport! I was thinking of soccer but I am not as interested in it as rugby. What do I need to play it?

Mr.Carter

Peter Stringer is small...no reason why you cannot.
Some lads are 6:4 and are ****e at basketball.

The Lost Sheep

MadDog1999 wrote: »

I am a male 16 year old and I am 5ft 2inches and I weigh 9 stone.I have a huge interest in rugby and I want to play it as I want to take up a sport! I was thinking of soccer but I am not as interested in it as rugby. What do I need to play it?

I wouldn't worry at all about your size. Have you played any sport before now?
Rugby is still a game for all shapes and sizes. Where are you based as depending on where you are based the choice of clubs could be limited
When you say what do you need to play what are you referring to? Gear etc

MadDog1999

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

I wouldn't worry at all about your size. Have you played any sport before now?
Rugby is still a game for all shapes and sizes. Where are you based as depending on where you are based the choice of clubs could be limited
When you say what do you need to play what are you referring to? Gear etc

Ya gear etc. and maybe protection? I have always been interested in sport but never got a chance to play. I have a club near me with friends playing there.

Blackclaret

Gum shield and pair of studs is all you will need to get started, loads of fine players have started in early twenties in fact. Take everything you are coached on board, have the breakdown and ruck explained to you properly, pretty much all comes from there.........It ain't the size of the dog in the fight.....its the size of the fight in the dog.....

No you're not too small, go for it.

CINCLANTFLT

Peter Stringer is only 3 foot 5 inches and weighs 34 pounds... Yet he can lift a fully loaded ambulance up to 20 feet into the air... His older brother is 7 foot 2 inches but he can't kick a rugby ball more than 10 feet!

jacothelad

MadDog1999 wrote: »

I am a male 16 year old and I am 5ft 2inches and I weigh 9 stone.I have a huge interest in rugby and I want to play it as I want to take up a sport! I was thinking of soccer but I am not as interested in it as rugby. What do I need to play it?

Some of the best rugby players in history have been quite small. Check out some of the great scrum halves. Ireland's best ever scrum half was a guy called Colin Patterson. He played for the Lions also. he was 5'6" / 7". At 16 you should also consider the fact that you might end up at 6' tall when you're 21. Late growth spurts are pretty common. BOD was perhaps the greatest Irish outside back to ever play the game and he was only about 5'10. When he played schools rugby he was tiny apparently but got stuck in. Playing without fear is the key. Play the game and enjoy it. Worry about what may come when you get there. Happy Christmas

Bonniedog

Depends on position really. It was noticeable that in World Cup the better and most exciting reams to watch were ones who have gone back to emphasis on speed and skill rather than the attritional game based on physique favoured in Europe.

Same pattern is emerging in other sports. Current Dublin and Kerry teams are far better than the teams who concentrate on size and physique. There are also some brilliant American basket ball players now in a sport where 6' 2" was not so long ago described a 'small'!

So go for it, and enjoy it.

Neil3030

OP, definitely try it out and see how you get on. Had a 6"7 lad on my school basketball team and he was HOPELESS.

MadDog1999

MadDog1999 wrote: »

I am a male 16 year old and I am 5ft 2inches and I weigh 9 stone.I have a huge interest in rugby and I want to play it as I want to take up a sport! I was thinking of soccer but I am not as interested in it as rugby. What do I need to play it?

Learn to tackle low and play with 100% effort and you will be grand hell if you have a bit of pace about you you could still end up one of better players

.ak

Absolutely no reason why not to play. It may curtail how far you can play in terms of level, but then again your 16 which means if you start playing now and enjoy it no reason why you can use nutritional planning to your advantage and add on a few more good pounds every year.

One of the lads who plays full back/wing for our div5 team is one of the best back three players I've ever played with and he's tiny... Must be no more than 10 stone when wet, if that. Thing is he's so elusive he just never gets caught in big tackles, but I'd imagine as you go up the levels the guys get bigger but also more skilful/intelligent the tackles become harder to evade so you need that bulk to be on a level playing field.

Also the scrumhalf on our team is probably the best tackler and he's absolutely tiny, about 9st. And then Kieron Marmion just drove the ulster blindside back about 5meters by himself, the smallest player on the field in the Connacht ulster game.

Halloween Jack

Get on the hgh like everybody else and you'll be sorted.

.ak

Halloween Jack wrote: »

Get on the hgh like everybody else and you'll be sorted.

Obvious troll is obvious. :rolleyes:

Pink Fairy

OP banned and all

pickarooney

Pink Fairy wrote: »

OP banned and all

Wow, they're getting quicker at the old drugs testing!

mfceiling

Shane Williams

/thread

peckerhead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcWT8PtISGg

Dricmeister

You are not too small. Peter Stringer and Shane Williams spring to mind inmediately. Plus I'm convinced that there will be moves to decrease rugby's physicality (e.g. reduce to 13 players). Plus you will get bigger (you're only 16). Give it a shot and enjoy it.

GiftofGab

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.

MadDog1999

I know this thread is 5 months old and I am sorry but I thought I would just give an update. I started playing rugby anyway in January and only have been to about 5 training sessions before end of season because of very poor weather and other reasons which made it not possible to attend. I am going to try better next season. I already learned so much. My coach I have to say is very good. I also went to watch a very important game they were playing and I watched and I learned a lot from that too! I am studying the rule book now and also any websites which can help. I have also been practicing the hell out of the spin pass

ShowMeTheCash

Just reading this thread...

Can I ask why now? What sports have you played up until now? GAA? Soccer?

Without trying to rain on the parade but rugby is a bit of a weird one, it is a team sport so unless you can get onto a team it might be a difficult sport to take up even at 16, I remember in my late teens trying to play hurling with some of the lads down the country... I had never lifted a hurl before it was probably funny to watch!
Unless perhaps you have a talent for the sport but usually people with certain athletic ability's would have excelled at other sports before now, but maybe you have?
I think of all the sports you could take up Rugby is probably one of the more dangerous as a novice at this age, at 16 some lads are essentially grown men!

If you managed to get a run out at a local team, some of these lads even at 16 are going to be pretty large, and they will play hard. If you really want to give it a go, go for it! But it is not something I would attempt to take up on a wim, it is going to be hard, you are going to get hurt it's part and parcel of the sport!

The Lost Sheep

ShowMeTheCash wrote: »

Just reading this thread...

Can I ask why now? What sports have you played up until now? GAA? Soccer?

Without trying to rain on the parade but rugby is a bit of a weird one, it is a team sport so unless you can get onto a team it might be a difficult sport to take up even at 16, I remember in my late teens trying to play hurling with some of the lads down the country... I had never lifted a hurl before it was probably funny to watch!
Unless perhaps you have a talent for the sport but usually people with certain athletic ability's would have excelled at other sports before now, but maybe you have?
I think of all the sports you could take up Rugby is probably one of the more dangerous as a novice at this age, at 16 some lads are essentially grown men!

If you managed to get a run out at a local team, some of these lads even at 16 are going to be pretty large, and they will play hard. If you really want to give it a go, go for it! But it is not something I would attempt to take up on a wim, it is going to be hard, you are going to get hurt it's part and parcel of the sport!

I would totally disagree speaking as a coach or referee. There is countless people whove went on to play all levels of the game who started at 16.
Its all about coaching and there will always be a safety issue and referees/coaches will be knowledgeable of players who are knew to the sport even at 16/17.
I don't think there needs to be such caution. The OP wants to play and clearly has seen games on tv and knows what theyre getting into and still want to play.

ShowMeTheCash

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

I would totally disagree speaking as a coach or referee. There is countless people whove went on to play all levels of the game who started at 16.
Its all about coaching and there will always be a safety issue and referees/coaches will be knowledgeable of players who are knew to the sport even at 16/17.
I don't think there needs to be such caution. The OP wants to play and clearly has seen games on tv and knows what theyre getting into and still want to play.

That may or may not the case, I too have watched guys take up sports at a similar age but looking at most of them they had a background in other sports GAA, soccer etc....

I am just reminded of one guy I know, he was home schooled so he kind of missed out in the whole team sports thing, he decided to give GAA a run out back when we where minors he too loved watching the sport, but all that happened was a young lad got thumped around a field which kind of became hard to watch....

But I did not see the last post from the OP, I think training sessions are grand and as long as the coaches do not send out a young lad before he is perhaps ready.

I was more interested in what other sports the has played, the original post seems to suggest he did not really play sports and he was trying to decided what he wanted to play, again I just do not understand why he maybe has not played GAA or soccer or maybe he has I do not know.

The Lost Sheep

ShowMeTheCash wrote: »

That may or may not the case, I too have watched guys take up sports at a similar age but looking at most of them they had a background in other sports GAA, soccer etc....

I am just reminded of one guy I know, he was home schooled so he kind of missed out in the whole team sports thing, he decided to give GAA a run out back when we where minors he too loved watching the sport, but all that happened was a young lad got thumped around a field which kind of became hard to watch....

But I did not see the last post from the OP, I think training sessions are grand and as long as the coaches do not send out a young lad before he is perhaps ready.

I was more interested in what other sports the has played, the original post seems to suggest he did not really play sports and he was trying to decided what he wanted to play, again I just do not understand why he maybe has not played GAA or soccer or maybe he has I do not know.

I don't think you can say that may or may not be the case. I had a team mate who took up rugby at 16 and within 4 years had played on 3 Munster age grade sides, got looked at for an irish side and he hadn't played anything else bar a tiny bit of hurling.
I don't think it should matter at all in the slightest whether he had played GAA or soccer or anything else. If they have the desire and interest and have good coaching then that's all that matters.

ShowMeTheCash

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

I don't think you can say that may or may not be the case. I had a team mate who took up rugby at 16 and within 4 years had played on 3 Munster age grade sides, got looked at for an irish side and he hadn't played anything else bar a tiny bit of hurling.
I don't think it should matter at all in the slightest whether he had played GAA or soccer or anything else. If they have the desire and interest and have good coaching then that's all that matters.

I can say may or may not be the case, because we don't know.

Everyone has a level or aptitude for "whatever".
Your mate is the exception to the rule and I generally try not peddle these stories not because they cannot be inspirational but more simply they do not usually reflect reality and the majority of people and or cases.
I know growing up a few guys had an aptitude for soccer their whole life was football, they even spent a little time in england but none of them made it it was a bitter pill for them to swallow and in many cases they did not really have plan B just plan A.

But look I am being too negative here and I do not mean to be, coaching and training sounds grand.

I was simply trying to be cognisant of the the level of physical activity involved with rugby and that people do get hurt.

feargale

About 30 to 40 years ago the French international scrum half was so tiny I reckon he would have been rejected as a jockey. I can't remember his name. The beauty of rugby is that it accomodates all shapes and sizes. There's a place for everyone.

Edit: It was Jacques Fouroux, 5ft 3inches.

( He makes Alexander Yanyushkin of Russia, 5ft 5 inches, look gigantic. )

The Lost Sheep

ShowMeTheCash wrote: »

I can say may or may not be the case, because we don't know.

Everyone has a level or aptitude for "whatever".
Your mate is the exception to the rule and I generally try not peddle these stories not because they cannot be inspirational but more simply they do not usually reflect reality and the majority of people and or cases.
I know growing up a few guys had an aptitude for soccer their whole life was football, they even spent a little time in england but none of them made it it was a bitter pill for them to swallow and in many cases they did not really have plan B just plan A.

But look I am being too negative here and I do not mean to be, coaching and training sounds grand.

I was simply trying to be cognisant of the the level of physical activity involved with rugby and that people do get hurt.

What involvement have you in the game? Have you played/been involved directly in grassroots in any form? When I played I was always considered too small/too light. Now I wasn't 5'2 but it doesn't matter.
My mate is not the exception to the rule. Rugby was and still is at underage and social adult rugby levels still completely a sport for all shapes and sizes. Of course people get hurt. But they get hurt and can get hurt in all sports.

ShowMeTheCash

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

What involvement have you in the game? Have you played/been involved directly in grassroots in any form? When I played I was always considered too small/too light. Now I wasn't 5'2 but it doesn't matter.
My mate is not the exception to the rule. Rugby was and still is at underage and social adult rugby levels still completely a sport for all shapes and sizes. Of course people get hurt. But they get hurt and can get hurt in all sports.

I think you are being disingenuous, I have played soccer, GAA and rugby granted the latter not so much as personally I considered myself too small for Rugby and I am 5 10. Soccer and GAA i played at a fairly decent level.

The reason I think you are being disingenuous is your mate is the exception the reason I say this is the majority of people playing rugby in this country are not going to make it onto the munster, ulster.... squads it is as simple as that, yes it does happen for some people but for the majority of players local level is as far as they will go with it and nothing wrong with that either.

Another reason I feel you are being disingenuous is this idea that rugby is just like all other sports.... It's not! Yes people get hurt playing GGA and soccer but rugby has a far greater physical presence, it is essentially an impact sport there are entire studies showing the dangers and the impact some of these guys are with standing these kind of hits rarely happen in soccer or even GAA.

My concern really was not with his size but with is over all ability and experience playing contact sports the fact that he is small just would make me worry a little more.

The Lost Sheep

ShowMeTheCash wrote: »

I think you are being disingenuous, I have played soccer, GAA and rugby granted the latter not so much as personally I considered myself too small for Rugby and I am 5 10. Soccer and GAA i played at a fairly decent level.

The reason I think you are being disingenuous is your mate is the exception the reason I say this is the majority of people playing rugby in this country are not going to make it onto the munster, ulster.... squads it is as simple as that, yes it does happen for some people but for the majority of players local level is as far as they will go with it and nothing wrong with that either.

Another reason I feel you are being disingenuous is this idea that rugby is just like all other sports.... It's not! Yes people get hurt playing GGA and soccer but rugby has a far greater physical presence, it is essentially an impact sport there are entire studies showing the dangers and the impact some of these guys are with standing these kind of hits rarely happen in soccer or even GAA.

My concern really was not with his size but with is over all ability and experience playing contact sports the fact that he is small just would make me worry a little more.

I am not being disingenuous at all. Again speaking as a coach, referee and having played at all levels up to junior. Size doesn't matter especially at social levels of the sport. Yes Rugby has a greater physical presence being a collision sport in comparison to contact sports like GAA etc but you cannot say you shouldn't play based on experience of not playing.
Yes size will come into the game if one wants to progress in terms of making it on to a regional/provincial development team or when at adult level if we are talking about the more senior teams in a lot of clubs but not at social grades which I assume the OP will be desiring to play at.

db

@OP, my son is the same age and size as you. He has played rugby since he was 6 so he has a decent understanding of the game and knows how to look after himself. He has always been one of the smallest on the pitch but in the last year particularly as they have been training more with weights, some of the lads have grown massively. It is not unusual to see lads 6ft+ and 16 stone in the age bracket.

It is possible to take up the game in your late teens and be very successful but those guys would already have the athleticism and just need to worry about acquiring the skills. If you are small and "soft" you will be playing against guys who are much bigger than you and there is a chance you could get hurt. Training should be OK put any coach who would allow you play in a match would be irresponsible in my opinion.

Have you looked at taking up tag rugby which may be more suitable for starting off?

awec

I don't buy the "there's a position for all shapes and sizes" argument really. I think you have to be either big (or at least not small) or you have to be fast (relatively). Someone who is light, small and slow is probably going to struggle.

If you are small, light and slow then I guess you'd have to be a glutton for punishment.

The Lost Sheep

db wrote: »

@OP, my son is the same age and size as you. He has played rugby since he was 6 so he has a decent understanding of the game and knows how to look after himself. He has always been one of the smallest on the pitch but in the last year particularly as they have been training more with weights, some of the lads have grown massively. It is not unusual to see lads 6ft+ and 16 stone in the age bracket.

It is possible to take up the game in your late teens and be very successful but those guys would already have the athleticism and just need to worry about acquiring the skills. If you are small and "soft" you will be playing against guys who are much bigger than you and there is a chance you could get hurt. Training should be OK put any coach who would allow you play in a match would be irresponsible in my opinion.

Have you looked at taking up tag rugby which may be more suitable for starting off?

Tag Rugby doesn't last that long and is not an organised for most part/most of the year and there wont be huge numbers playing at the OPs age.
Why focus on people going on to be very successful. I highly doubt the OP is focusing or thinking like that. They simply want to take part, enjoy the sport.

awec wrote: »

I don't buy the "there's a position for all shapes and sizes" argument really. I think you have to be either big (or at least not small) or you have to be fast (relatively). Someone who is light, small and slow is probably going to struggle.

If you are small, light and slow then I guess you'd have to be a glutton for punishment.

At social levels, and at age grade, there really is the position for all shapes and sizes. Someone who is light and small/slow isn't going to struggle depending on other skills/attributes they have

awec

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

At social levels, and at age grade, there really is the position for all shapes and sizes. Someone who is light and small/slow isn't going to struggle depending on other skills/attributes they have

6'4", 67kg and no pace whatsoever. Where would you put me Lost Sheep?

Hype710

awec wrote: »

6'4", 67kg and no pace whatsoever. Where would you put me Lost Sheep?

In the gym

MadDog1999

Should I give up rugby so? Some of the advice here is certainly pointing towards me giving it up. I am scared of injuries(fear not caused by any of you) i was thinking about giving it up in place of road cycling and road cycling racing. Advice? If you want me to start a new thread rather than continuing this thread, just ask and I will.

The Lost Sheep

MadDog1999 wrote: »

Should I give up rugby so? Some of the advice here is certainly pointing towards me giving it up. I am scared of injuries(fear not caused by any of you) i was thinking about giving it up in place of road cycling and road cycling racing. Advice? If you want me to start a new thread rather than continuing this thread, just ask and I will.

No you shouldn't give up and having trained a lot with cyclists and racers and am thinking if I get the time next year to possibly take up some racing that injury is higher in racing so if scared of injury you're making wrong move if looking at bike racing...
No don't give up. See what next season brings.
Where will you be playing next season/where were you playing this season (general area). You will still be playing age grade youths rugby so don't worry about physical size too much

MadDog1999

The Lost Sheep wrote:

No you shouldn't give up and having trained a lot with cyclists and racers and am thinking if I get the time next year to possibly take up some racing that injury is higher in racing so if scared of injury you're making wrong move if looking at bike racing... No don't give up. See what next season brings. Where will you be playing next season/where were you playing this season (general area). You will still be playing age grade youths rugby so don't worry about physical size too much

I don't know where I am playing yet until open season. I am slowly getting over my fear of injury. I keep saying to myself worrying you are going to get injured will get you injured.

Losty Dublin

MadDog1999 wrote: »

I don't know where I am playing yet until open season. I am slowly getting over my fear of injury. I keep saying to myself worrying you are going to get injured will get you injured.

If you play with a fear of getting injured then you aren't in the right mindset to play any team sport as you will avoid any contact situation for fear of injury and you won't be any good on the field of play. Expect a few bumps and bruises and you will be fine, just fine. Trust me, the injuries can and do happen but they are not common but I've seen worse on a soccer field and from tag than from contact rugby. And I include myself in that list of injuries.

awec

More likely to get properly hurt in soccer really. Harder to control aggression and be accurate in tackling when using your legs than it is when using your upper body.

.ak

Your coach will put you on when you're ready for contact, and not before. Don't sweat it. Don't let anyone tell you you're too small, just train hard, learn, and enjoy it.

MadDog1999

Thanks for the advice! I am not giving it up now. I feel way better now

ShowMeTheCash

MadDog1999 wrote: »

Should I give up rugby so? Some of the advice here is certainly pointing towards me giving it up. I am scared of injuries(fear not caused by any of you) i was thinking about giving it up in place of road cycling and road cycling racing. Advice? If you want me to start a new thread rather than continuing this thread, just ask and I will.

Hi OP - just a little confused by this thread and finding it a little difficult to follow your thinking.

You thought about giving it up for road cycling??
It for me is just a weird thing to say....

It almost sound like you got up one morning and thought "Right I want to play a sport" and started picking things out of hat.

You are 16 what sports have you played up until now? What sports do you play with your mates? At school?

Rugby or road cycling is just a weird contrast.

MadDog1999

You see I have always been interested in both Road cycling and rugby and it's more choose one rather than the two because u am tight for money. That's why I was asking about giving rugby up for it. But I am not giving up rugby anymore and now will try to do both.

ShowMeTheCash

MadDog1999 wrote: »

You see I have always been interested in both Road cycling and rugby and it's more choose one rather than the two because u am tight for money. That's why I was asking about giving rugby up for it. But I am not giving up rugby anymore and now will try to do both.

Which now brings me to another thing.
I had a friend very good road cyclist..... Guy is super fit but he carry's no weight, no excess fat. The frame of a cyclist I would not say is consistent with the frame of a rugby player....

But never mind all that, what sports have you played before?

The Lost Sheep

ShowMeTheCash wrote: »

Hi OP - just a little confused by this thread and finding it a little difficult to follow your thinking.

You thought about giving it up for road cycling??
It for me is just a weird thing to say....

It almost sound like you got up one morning and thought "Right I want to play a sport" and started picking things out of hat.

You are 16 what sports have you played up until now? What sports do you play with your mates? At school?

Rugby or road cycling is just a weird contrast.

Road cycling Isnt really a weird contrast in some extent. I think you are being unfair to the OP a slight bit.

MadDog1999 wrote: »

You see I have always been interested in both Road cycling and rugby and it's more choose one rather than the two because u am tight for money. That's why I was asking about giving rugby up for it. But I am not giving up rugby anymore and now will try to do both.

Road cycling will be extremely expensive compared to rugby. Do you have a bike and what quality is it. Would you have a club/group to train with? As a 16 year old you would be in junior category and racing with the A3 mens category?

MadDog1999

I don't know what level I would be cycling with. It is very expensive I know. But I have a summer job so that will help. But I have nearly blown my first wage on rugby gear! So they are both as expensive. That was off sports direct and that's supposed to be cheap! The shipping is what peeves me off the most. Well I bought shorts off pro direct rugby just there and shipping 8 something so for one pair of rugby shorts 23.50 euro including shipping.

ShowMeTheCash

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Road cycling Isnt really a weird contrast in some extent. I think you are being unfair to the OP a slight bit.

Road cycling will be extremely expensive compared to rugby. Do you have a bike and what quality is it. Would you have a club/group to train with? As a 16 year old you would be in junior category and racing with the A3 mens category?

Look what I am getting at it this.
I think the OP is interested in things perhaps he watches on TV and now wants to give them a go, nothing wrong with that.

I am just trying to gauge what the OP has done up until now, what sports has he played what sports was he good at, what sports does he enjoy.

The OP originally was worried about his size, cycling is one of those sports that will keep weight and even muscle size down, very hard to gain when you are doing extensive aerobic exercise.

I lean body is easier to push on 80Km cycles, a lean body is not so well cushioned when a 16 year old at 200lbs crashes into you.

If he said weight lifting and rugby... that I could maybe understand.

ShowMeTheCash

MadDog1999 wrote: »

I don't know what level I would be cycling with. It is very expensive I know. But I have a summer job so that will help. But I have nearly blown my first wage on rugby gear! So they are both as expensive. That was off sports direct and that's supposed to be cheap! The shipping is what peeves me off the most. Well I bought shorts off pro direct rugby just there and shipping 8 something so for one pair of rugby shorts 23.50 euro including shipping.

Do you have a bike of any kind?

I would not worry about buying expensive equipment just yet, I am sure you could borrow a bike.

My worry is you go out and buy all this stuff, realise you do not like it or it is not for you then this equipment gathers dust in the shed...

Coming back why are you interested in cycling? Do you cycle much?

What sports have you played? Or do you play currently?

The Lost Sheep

MadDog1999 wrote: »

I don't know what level I would be cycling with. It is very expensive I know. But I have a summer job so that will help. But I have nearly blown my first wage on rugby gear! So they are both as expensive. That was off sports direct and that's supposed to be cheap! The shipping is what peeves me off the most. Well I bought shorts off pro direct rugby just there and shipping 8 something so for one pair of rugby shorts 23.50 euro including shipping.

But you're 16 so you will be in the junior ranks if you take cycling road racing up for 2017 as you wont be a youth. Rugby is much much cheaper. They are not as expensive as each other. You will be paying to enter races etc.

MadDog1999

Ya. I have nearly decided to leave cycling off until I leave college.