MINIS & JUNIOR

MINI RUGBY AT LONDON WELSH

A welcome back message from Our Minis Chairman:

If you were to visit Old Deer Park on a Sunday morning during the Summer months, you may hear the sound of leather on willow; a gentle ripple of applause emanating from a scattering of cricket spectators or the swoosh of an arrow as it is directed towards its target. Summer at Old Deer Park is serene, tranquil and a haven for the more gentle sports.
However, Summer doesn’t last forever, and as the warmer days give way to Autumn, Old Deer Park will undergo a transformation on Sunday mornings as the London Welsh Minis return to Old Deer Park!

The peace will be shattered by the excited chatter of over 200 children as they make their way across the hallowed turf to kick off a new season of Minis’ rugby. You will hear the shouts of excitement as our youngest players – the Little Wizards, get to experience scoring their first try at Old Deer Park, enthusiastically supported by their parents on the side lines.

The under 7s and under 8s will be rushing about the pitch, trying their best to grab the opposition, followed by the traditional shout of “tag”, which signals a successful tackle. You will hear the coaches’ voices ring out across the cone-strewn pitches as they issue instructions – “dragon line”, “move the ball”, “look for the space” and the frequent “is anybody listening to me?”.

The under 9’s will be experiencing tackling for the first time, with the coaches doing their best to temper the children’s natural excitement at this new window of opportunity, with the need to quickly impart the basics of the tackle. The noise of bodies hitting tackle bags will be a common one.

Our older Minis’ groups will be introduced to rucking, scrums, mauls and kicking. At each age grade the introduction of another element of rugby adds further enjoyment to the children’s playing experience. We now hear the shouts of the scrum set being called, the noise as two players compete for the ball after a tackle and the exhaustion after a hard game against our opposition.

Once the final whistle goes, the children’s voices are carried into the clubhouse as the rugby related shouts are replaced by instructions for ordering sausage sandwiches, ice creams and chips. The parents slump down in a chair nursing a coffee – or something stronger, while discussing the morning’s training.

We all enjoy the Summer months but the London Welsh Minis’ return to Old Deer Park in September will bring with it noises, smells and experiences that even the best Summer can’t compete with.

See you all in September,

Jonathan Fursland

Minis Chairman

This is Old Deer Park. This is London Welsh. And here be dragons

Vibrant, inclusive and thriving Youth section with strong support from parents and club. Our friendliness and hospitality are well renowned.

Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline, Sportsmanship

Club is invested in player development with a pathway plan from Youth to Senior rugby. We play rugby for enjoyment, development and winning.

Membership - We’d love you and your family to join us.

First team players and professional coaches help coach and develop all our Youth age groups. Join us on Sundays at 9am.

welcome

LONDON WELSH MINI
RUGBY

If you are interested in joining our minis section please contact our minis chairman Jon on 07946 352379 or minischairman@londonwelshrfc.co.uk - we would love to have you and we warmly welcome new players.

Established in 1885, our unique rugby club has a colourful and glorious history and what lies at the heart of London Welsh is an unwavering commitment to preserve and nurture the core values of rugby.

TEAMWORK, RESPECT, ENJOYMENT, DISCIPLINE, SPORTSMANSHIP

Rugby is a wonderful team sport where lifelong friendships and bonds are forged and at London Welsh even our smallest members can enjoy the warm, open club atmosphere that we have created in the historic setting of old deer park.

MEMBERSHIP - We’d love you and your family to join us.

Anyone can become a member. We welcome all to London Welsh, including different nationalities from the world over. We welcome boys and girls and players of all abilities including those looking for their first taste of rugby.. Our thriving Minis and Youth section is where we introduce children to rugby in a structured and safe environment out in the shadow of the iconic Kew pagoda, starting with our Little Wizards (under 6’s). Our Minis and Youth age groups include two Girls teams (U13s and U15s) which we created in 2019 and their ranks have continued to swell!

No amateur rugby club can exist without the generous and unconditional support of its volunteer coaches and parents. Our volunteer group is the heart and soul of the club and plays a vital role in our continued growth and success. It’s why we can also make a promise that when you join London Welsh, you will be offered a ‘croeso’ like no other.

NEW PLAYERS – WHERE FUTURE DRAGONS ARE MADE!

For the children and volunteer coaches Sunday morning in the Minis is the best morning of the whole week. We welcome new players, both girls and boys, who want to give rugby a try!

We aim to develop players who are free to express themselves and play “what’s in front of them”. We emphasize inclusivity and follow a simple philosophy that is fostered by the RFU and shared by many of our neighbouring rugby clubs:

1. Our children come first in everything they do and the decisions they make
2. We encourage fun on the pitch and on the sidelines by creating realistic expectations
3. We endeavour to develop children’s character as rugby players and as people, and challenge any behaviour that run counter to this
4. We develop the skills of our adult volunteers to provide a safe, healthy, and respectful environment for both our children and parents / carers
5. We champion rugby’s core values of TREDS - TEAMWORK, RESPECT, ENJOYMENT, DISCIPLINE, SPORTSMANSHIP

Mini Rugby is player-focused and aims to help children develop and learn the game at their own pace ensuring they have plenty of fun while playing competitively.

Mini Rugby starts at London Welsh with our Little Wizards for children of 5 years of age. A child’s age group is based on their age on 1 September, and so follows school years as below:

School Year Rugby Age Group
Reception/Year 1 U6 (“Little Wizards”)
Year 2 U7
Year 3 U8
Year 4 U9
Year 5 U10
Year 6 U11
Year 7 U12

At the U6 level, the emphasis is on fun and skill development, through the medium of non-contact ‘Tag’ Rugby - a variation of the game whereby a ‘tackle’ is performed through the removal of a plastic ‘Tag’ that is otherwise attached to a velcro belt that is around the players waist. There is an incremental introduction to competitive games within the year group only as we do not play other clubs at this stage.
Through U7 and U8, we continue to play Tag Rugby whilst matches are introduced through playing ‘Festivals’ and via fixtures / joint training with other clubs. Rugby clubs each take turns to host ‘Festivals’ and joint training session, which are always great fun and allow us to experience our neighbours’ excellent hospitality. Festivals usually involve between 4-6 teams who compete against each other on a Sunday morning (or sometimes afternoon), over a series of matches.
Contact rugby is introduced from U9 and with each subsequent year modest changes to the rules are introduced as children progress towards Junior Rugby. For example, in U9, there is no contest for the ball after a tackle, at U10 rucks and mauls are introduced, whilst kicking is only introduced to the game from U11 onwards.

LOCATION - when and where we train

The Minis (U6 to U12) train every Sunday at London Welsh RFC, Old Deer Park, from 09:15 to 11.15am. There is parking available but we also recommend that you do your bit for the environment by walking or cycling to the ground if you can - or consider car sharing.

The sessions start promptly at 9.15am but we recommend you turn up 15 minutes before to ensure that your child is ready to play once the session starts. The first few weeks of the season are also very busy with registering players so please bear this in mind. Junior rugby operates from 11.30 until 1pm , although this can vary depending on fixtures etc.

EQUIPMENT - what you need to bring
All balls, tag belts, tackle bags and other equipment necessary for playing are provided by the club. All you need to bring are boots (we discourage ‘blades’ - studs should be rounded, and not have edges), be dressed adequately for the weather, and from U9 upwards, bring a gumshield which is essential to partake in contact Rugby. Once you become a member you may decide to buy our excellent kit which you can do so on Sunday mornings via the ‘Dragon’s Lair’ Club Shop which is situated in the clubhouse. U7 and over should all wear the official Minis Shirt which is reversible red/black. Bring along a water bottle and some snacks for break times. Hungry children and volunteers can enjoy a post-training breakfast and coffee in the club bar and kitchen also located within the clubhouse.

Our Coaches, Team managers, Referees and First Aiders are all parents and volunteers.

Every London Welsh age group has its own coaching structure with a Head Coach, leading a team of Coaches, first aiders and team managers. Invariably our Coaches will have a child in the group they are coaching and whilst many draw experience from having played the game, there are those who are new to rugby but want to get involved in some capacity. You do NOT have to have played rugby to be a coach, and we want mums, dads and guardians to be comfortable with the idea of becoming a volunteer.

Our club couldn’t function without our volunteers, so new candidates are always encouraged & welcomed, and we support our coaches through a variety of courses run by the club and RFU. Sometimes these are run at London Welsh, but when that is not the case the courses are usually hosted at a neighbouring rugby club. All coaches, team managers, and first aiders are – without exception – DBS checked. The club arranges First aid courses for First Aiders. All courses are paid for by the club.

MEMBERSHIP

There is no need to pre-register as we operate a ‘turn up and play’ policy for our new members. However, please make contact with the respective Age Group Team Manager prior to arrival for your first session – see the Team Managers Contacts below. Your child(ren) can then come to up to 3 sessions before you decide whether you would like to commit to the full season. To join you will need to register and pay via this website. Please visit our Membership page here for all the information you need, including fees and steps required to register.

Last Updated August 2023

Membership