Kelso Cougars Mini Rugby

Mini Rugby FAQ

Where do you meet?
Who can play?
What does it cost?
What happens when the weather is bad?
What else do I need to know?
I want to play who do I contact?
How do I get to other grounds for away games?
General tips

Where do you meet? - We meet at the Rugby Club in Kelso on a Sunday. Generally this is at 10:20 for training (on the park at 10:30) but the time changes if we are playing an away game. If there's nobody there and the changing rooms are open, pop in and take a look at the youth noticeboard in the foyer.
Kelso Rugby Club
Poynder Park
Kelso
TD5 7EH
Tel/Fax:- 01573 223773
Clubrooms:- 01573 224300

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Who can play? - Any child (boy or girl) from Primary 3 upwards who is prepared to run, tackle and generally get completely covered in mud. Primaries 1 and 2 are also welcome and will learn basic handling and passing.
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What does it cost? - The cost for a season of mini rugby is twenty pounds per child. The SRU have decreed that all Mini rugby players should have insurance cover, thus five pounds of the club fee is put directly against insurance for your child for the season. This fee is payable at the beginning of the season.
The remaining money from the fee covers the cost of juice and a pie on match days and laundry bills for the tops

Incidental costs are;.

Boots (any football boot should do but they must have rugby studs or moulded plastic studs). The club also runs a 'boot bank' where players may take any pair of boots that fit them and hopefully reciprocate by placing any old/unused boots in the bank for someone else. It is not necessary to put a pair in, in order to take a pair out.
Regulated rugby studs (kitemarked, these cost around four pounds a set)
Shorts (currently preferred to be plain black, but it doesn't matter)
Red Socks
Optional
- Gumshield - if your child can play with one in his mouth (they can take a bit of getting used to but are advised.)
- Scrum cap (any head knock should be attended to instantly with the player being encouraged to leave the field rather than play on. If a concussion should occur it means that the player should attend a doctor or hospital and will not be allowed to play for several weeks . A second concussion would likely mean the player missing the season (thankfully these are rare occurences in the Mini game).
- Body padding - While we understand that parents are concerned that their children should not get hurt and therefore see body padding as a benefit, we would urge them to think before buying this. It is our opinion that children with body padding have a 'Superman' attitude and throw themselves into the game more recklessly, to the detriment and injury of those players without (and inevitably with the cost of padding, many children do not have it). We also believe that when a child with padding gets injured it is more serious than would otherwise have been the case.
  Padding, however, is currently acceptable within the game.
Your time - parents are encouraged to come along and support the children. The club generously provides buses for games and while this promotes fun and team spirit, we often find that less parents travel with the team to away matches. Please support your child in his/her rugby, besides, its great fun!
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What happens when the weather is bad? - During the Winter months training/games can be distrupted by frost or excessive rain. If the weather looks bad, parents should firstly listen to Radio Borders (96.8FM) where details of cancelled training/games are broadcast on a regular basis from around 8am. If there has been no Radio broadcast and you are still unsure, contact one of the coaching staff.
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What else do I need to know? - Parents of children in P3 or below should not feel that their child has to come along every week. If it is wet or cold it is probably better that they stay at home, rather than be miserable and lose any enthusiasm for the game.
All children who train or play are entitled to come along to our mid season Xmas party and end of season tour to Ayr where the awards for the year are presented.
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I want to play who do I contact? - You can contact any of the coaches on any Sunday we are training (see our program) or, if we have a home match, after the match is finished (usually about 1.00ish).

All players will receive a rugby shirt to wear on match days but will require their own top for training (anything will do as long as you don't mind it getting dirty or ripped)
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How do I get to other grounds for away games? - Travel directions to some of the grounds we visit during the year can be found by following the links below.
Kelso RFC
Jed-Forest RFC
Gala RFC
Selkirk RFC
Melrose RFC
Duns RFC
Peebles RFC
Langholm RFC
Berwick RFC
Penicuik RFC
Musselburgh RFC
Marr RFC (Ayr Tour)

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Tips

Wrap up warm for a match on a cold day. It's easier to take layers of clothes off than it is to heat yourself up after you have been freezing. Trousers are allowed (as long as they have no metal studs or buttons - tracksuit trousers preferable)
Bring a towel, even if the Sun is out, it's going to rain, it always does!
Don't wear any jewellery (earrings, rings, necklaces). The referee will make you take them off and you will have to find a place to put them safely
Don't play with money or any sharp items in your pockets. If it doesn't fall out it will surely hurt you when you hit the ground.
If you do have items of value that you don't want to leave in the locker room (and we would advise you not to leave these items there), give them to a parent for safekeeping, or a coach who should be able to put them in a safe place.

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Updated 30 August 2007
by Webmaster