Gladiatorial

culture of school rugby is too violent for small children, warns surgeon

Last year Michael Carter, a paediatric

neurosurgeon at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, said that smaller children

should not be forced to play rugby with bigger boys. In British schools where

rugby is taught, boys as young as 10 are expected to engage in some kind of

contact competition. But Mr Carter said children often had vastly different

physical statures and it was unfair to match smaller children against their

bigger classmates.

He has called for creative match scheduling as

well as preseason and early season strength and conditioning training. In

addition, weight as well as age should be considered during squad selection.

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What does Doctor Michael Carter think of school rugby?

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