Very interesting questions, and very relevant to a rugby coaching forum.  We are not only teaching young people to play the game.  Rugby is about life.  How we approach the game, and our actions amongst our peers after the game, are equally important.

There are two parts to your question:

1.  Drinking

Firstly let me say I am definitely NOT a tea-totaller.  But here I am afraid I might be considered a dinosaur - I do not believe that children (under the age of 18) should ever drink alchohol.  Even small amounts can be harmful to health, and in particular brain development.  I also think it is important for aduclts to behave themselves in front of children.  Show them how to behave responsibly, remember we are their role model.  Of course, I know that children drink, and we cannot stop them if they choose to.  But that does not mean it should be condoned.

That  is not to say that junior rugby functions should be devoid of alcohol, that would be silly.  But drinking should not be part of the culture, that is not something that is good for our sport.  And excessive drinking should never be condoned in front of young people.

2.  Ribald songs

Here I am completely with you, didds.  Hymns are for church.  Rugby is about roughing it with your mates.  Dirty songs (within reason **) are about humour and good times, and never hurt anyone.  (** I would draw the line on anything that might be racially abusive or demeaning to women or minority groups)  But outside of that I would think almost anything should go.  Sticks and stones, as they say....  Ribaldry is just harmless fun, and most 12 year olds (especially these days) would handle it easily.

On the drinking front I'd say no for two main reasons:

1. I think its a parent's perogative to decide when and where U18's drink, stepping on those particular toes will only cause huge grief to you
2. If you do offer drink there is always at least one muppet who gets hold of more than their share, however closely you regulate it.  Being responsible for sloshed U18's is not a good place to be

On the singing front, however, a resounding yes.  It's not just a rugby thing either (though rugby is notorious for it).  I grew up sailing and we learned all the same songs

We take our U12-U10 on tour every year and part of that is them learning ribald songs (heavily toned down, much to their parent's amusement) on the bus as we travel.  As they are U12 the songs are heavily censored and the censorship is heavily enforced but the basics of the more inocent ones are learned.  Parents, even the more 'puritanical' ones seem to accept and even expect this as part of the rugby environment.

However, the kids are very aware that singing all songs is a core part of tour, they know the coaches sit down into the wee small hours every night singing (with suitable lubrication) and that the vast bulk of the songs are just normal songs.  The kids hear us and want to learn all the songs the next day so I'd say they all go home knowing a good 10ish of the core songs everyone sings plus 2-3 ribald ones.  As long as you keep that balance and prevent them all being ribald people are completely relaxed about it.

Finaly, I feel its a core part of growing up, not just giving them the knowledge and skills to fit into such groups as they get older, but also learning the crucial lesson that behaviour acceptable in one environment is not acceptable in another.  We find that 'tour-itus' is a common ailment in all the kids coming home after the tour but that it lasts longest for the U10's and shortest for the U12's.  ie. the U12's are learning the lesson and adapting behaviour to their environment.

'What goes on tour stays on tour!'

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Biomechanist/Performance Analyst

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