I am the least woke person you could meet but I completely agree with the YRFU and the RFU on this stance.
It's not 1980 anymore.
Dear Hon Secretary
Unfortunately, the practice of drinking games in age grade rugby has been raised again, with a post from a club with Colts taking part appearing on social media this week. The below is a copy of a letter from the RFU Safeguarding Team .
"Whilst there is no specific mention of drinking games in the RFU Safeguarding Children's Policy, there is reference to adult's attitudes towards alcohol and drinking habits and how this can affect children. There is a reference in the Play it Safe course and discussion in the question of what is appropriate/not appropriate section.
It is our view that drinking games in the children's game, even those using soft drinks, ultimately promotes a culture of drinking games in general in rugby. As children get older and move on to alcohol once they turn 18, these games have already become normalised. The RFU does not promote drinking culture in this way and feels that it is important to actively discourage it in the children's game to deter binge-drinking as children grow up.
In our experience, whilst drinking games with soft drinks might seem harmless by some, children have at times reported to us that they find this uncomfortable but do not feel confident to voice their concerns for fear of being ridiculed or ostracised. We have found also that some adults feel the same when pressured to be involved in drinking games with alcohol in the adult game. Furthermore, we have also had reports from parents who do not wish to promote drinking in this way, even with soft drinks, but again they do not feel confident to raise their concerns with a club.
The only way therefore to avoid this and to ensure that children and parents do not feel uncomfortable and to ensure that drinking games are not normalised, is to avoid all such games. Furthermore, medical concerns have been raised regarding additives in drinks, and the potential negative effect of carbonated drinks "raced".
As I mentioned above, this is not specified in our policy, but we would expect that a club promotes a healthy view of drinking and a culture that promotes the welfare and wellbeing of children".
Regards
Kath Bennett
RFU Safeguarding Case Manager
Regards
Andy Pollard
Safeguarding Manager
Yorkshire RFU