RFU warned schools crisis risks rugby becoming a ‘declining minority sport’

The Rugby Football Union has been warned it is facing an existential crisis and has been urged to make radical changes in schools rugby to avoid becoming a “declining ­minority sport” that could weaken Steve Borthwick’s England side amid a damaging decline in participation.

According to an independently chaired review commissioned by the RFU, “rugby is not winning” in the schools marketplace because of “changing attitudes and values ­coupled with greater risk aversion in the part of society”. The review, entitled Changing the Game: the Future of Schools Rugby in England, also highlights fears over head injuries and an image problem of a sport for “posh white boys” as reasons behind the decline in participation numbers.

In response the RFU has ­commit­ted to the rollout over the next four years of a non-contact form of the sport called T1 Rugby, while the review also recommends ­introducing a third “reduced contact” variant of the game alongside the traditional model to ease parents’ fears over injuries and break down perceived barriers to entry into the sport.

“In the schools ‘marketplace’, rugby is not winning,” the report, led by Sir Jon Coles, chief executive of national schools group United ­Learning, read. “It is losing out to other sports. Rugby in England ­cannot rely on having the central ­cultural place in national life that it has in Wales or New Zealand. ­Changing ­attitudes and values coupled with greater risk ­aversion in the part of society which once saw rugby as ­central to school life mean that rugby also cannot rely on that any longer.

“This matters enormously to rugby in England, because without rugby in schools, there will be much less rugby in the community, a much weakened professional and national game and a diminished audience. This is an urgent issue approaching crisis point.

“The RFU could pursue a ­strategy of a very small number of elite schools populating the professional and national game; alongside a ‘clubs’ strategy. They could not worry about getting people playing in school but rather rely on the clubs to introduce the game. The review group believe that this would be a major strategic error , elitist in only allowing children and young people from particular backgrounds to access rugby union and [would] lead to a shrinking game at all levels.”

The report highlights two “big picture” areas in need of attention: a) “defend the home turf … take ­radical action to preserve the game in its heartlands” and b) to “attack new markets”.

“To do both of these things well is to walk a fine line,” it continues. “But both must be done boldly and with energy. Without (a), the game will shrink rapidly in schools and in consequence in the community and beyond. Without (b), the game will be a declining minority sport, seen as upper class and ­elitist. You must always change a losing game, and at the moment rugby is playing a losing game in schools.”

The report also recommends the creation of a director of schools rugby post at the RFU and a “rugby flatpack” which would enable a PE teacher with no rugby experience to be able to coach a term of T1 rugby. It goes on to express hope that rugby’s decline in schools can be halted if the recommendations are taken on board but issues a word of warning that the sport’s values are being eroded amid a perception problem.

“The game does continue to have an image problem with some, who may see it as a game for the ‘posh’ or for ‘posh boys’ or for ‘posh white boys’,” reads the report. “Rugby is a game which has inspired and enthused people of both sexes, all skin colours, all social and economic backgrounds and all shapes and sizes – but that is not the perception everywhere in England.”