Welcome to the Haslemere Rugby Under 8s, school year 3! Haslemere Community Rugby Club is a fantastically inclusive club and the U8 squad is a marvellous example of this with kids from all sorts of local schools looking to join in with the fun. We have a fantastic group of mums and dads who get fully immersed in the training sessions (even if it’s cold & raining!) and we would very much like to invite you and your budding rugby players (boys and girls) to join us.

The new season starts on Sunday 5th September 2021 - we meet every Sunday morning at the Club grounds between 10.00am – 12.00pm although please always check the fixtures section to find out where we will be. We are happy for you to come along and just try out without commitment for the first couple of sessions. There is no requirement to go and spend a fortune on kit - all you need is a gum shield and some boots and you can give it a go, although don’t forget to dress appropriately for the weather; hats, gloves, waterproofs and layers if it is cold and wet, and bring a drink and snack.

The U8s is for anyone who turns 8 years old between the beginning of September and the end of August - just like the academic year (Year 3). The rugby at this level is simple and fun. There is no physical tackling (that comes later) and we concentrate on basic skills: holding the ball properly, passing (backwards!), supporting the ball carrier and tagging (forerunner to tackling). We start with a fun warm-up and then progress to drills focusing on the basics and finish up with games / game-sense drills.

We are flexible on how long we train for (depending on weather) but our allotted time is 10am until 12 noon, after which everyone is invited back to the clubhouse for pre-lunch drinks and snacks (the club sometimes lays on free drinks for the coaches).

Of massive importance is fun and it is at the heart of the U8 goals.

To be fun, the kids must, must, must be dressed properly:

· 4 top layers (they can always take one or two off) including a top waterproof layer (cold and wet are our enemies)

· Track suit bottoms

· Gloves (hockey gloves seem popular)

· Boots with studs (please try and find some as trainers really don’t work when the ground is wet) – I expect there are second hand boots available from older year parents and maybe the club

· Mouthguard (not strictly necessary, but it gets them into the habit – use self-mould ones)

Equally, we stop frequently for breathers (mainly for the coaches), so please make sure you bring water, hot chocolate if it is cold, and wholesome snacks (banana, biscuits etc) that can be consumed quickly (apples seem to get discarded!). We desperately try to steer clear from sweets as they have negative effects on the kids and cause resentment from those without – there are plenty of sweets available in the clubhouse afterwards.

We suggest that mums and dads wear stout / waterproof footwear…

For the mums and dads, there is a great, but not intrusive, social scene attached to the club and we love for you to get involved.

So, as said above, the season starts on Sunday 6th September 2020 at 10am – welcome back to U7s (now U8s!) and please do bring anybody else that wants to give it a go. And, parents, please be prepared to gently muck in!