Parents and coaches at junior rugby matches in Yorkshire are being asked to watch in silence as part of a drive to ‘challenge pitch-side behaviour’. Yorkshire Rugby Football Union (YRFU) said a ‘small minority’ of people were ‘definitely not living rugby's core values’ - and should ‘reflect’ on that. It said some referees had been verbally abused and were ‘constantly having their decisions questioned’. Silence has been requested at matches this Sunday, and again next Sunday. In a letter entitled #SilentSundays, YRFU secretary Dawn Rathmell said pitch-side behaviour was leading referees to quit, and making it harder to recruit new ones. ‘Some coaches, parents and spectators are constantly shouting at their players,’ she wrote. ‘Junior players who leave the game have highlighted this pitch-side pressure as a reason for giving up.’ The letter said YRFU wanted the silent Sundays to ‘help those who love the game to reflect on the knock-on effects of their actions.
Silence at junior rugby aims to tackle 'abuse'
Written by Super User 05 Feb 2015
Additional Info
- Pray: Parents and coaches at junior rugby matches in Yorkshire are being asked to watch in silence as part of a drive to ‘challenge pitch-side behaviour’. Yorkshire Rugby Football Union (YRFU) said a ‘small minority’ of people were ‘definitely not living rugby's core values’ - and should ‘reflect’ on that. It said some referees had been verbally abused and were ‘constantly having their decisions questioned’. Silence has been requested at matches this Sunday, and again next Sunday. In a letter entitled #SilentSundays, YRFU secretary Dawn Rathmell said pitch-side behaviour was leading referees to quit, and making it harder to recruit new ones. ‘Some coaches, parents and spectators are constantly shouting at their players,’ she wrote. ‘Junior players who leave the game have highlighted this pitch-side pressure as a reason for giving up.’ The letter said YRFU wanted the silent Sundays to ‘help those who love the game to reflect on the knock-on effects of their actions.
- More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30971499