Thugby

Headline story of a major South Africa news site this morning is that a 16 year boy is in a coma after spectators and players in a school rugby game became embroiled in a punch up. I looked to the box that said “Related stories” and the number of such incidences in the last few years is downright stupid.

It really just baffles me that parents are so keen to get into punch ups in front of (or with) their kids, just to support a school rugby match.

But then maybe its not that baffling – I’ve been to a couple of games for kids in the 12 – 16 year old age groups and you listen to how the parents egg their kids on to get physical and tackle or ruck harder and you just wonder what the hell goes through their heads?

What happens when its your kid lying on the wrong side of the ruck through no real fault of his own or when you kid suddenly finds himself playing against a 16 year old whose on muscle enhancers and weighs in at around 100kgs?

If parents can’t control themselves, then maybe they need to be ejected from games BEFORE things get stupid.

I’m all for a little argy bargy, chirp chirp, push shove to give a little bit of an edge to a game. I don’t think there is anything wrong with it in cricket, rugby or hockey and it is part of winning and losing games.

But that’s between players, NOT coaches or parents or supporters.

If parents aren’t going to behave at sports games then they mustn’t be involved. I don’t see how, in any civilized society, parents should be trading punches with kids in rugby games and why 16 year old kids should be losing teeth and being put into comas after going out to play a game of school rugby.