Steffan Jones, Director of Sport at Wellington School, has called for rugby team selection based on age to be reviewed in order that pupils build skills that develop them as a player.
Jones, a former professional rugby player at Bristol and Exeter, staged a Bio banding match at Wellington School last week between the School and Castle School, Taunton. Bio banding is a system by which players compete against players of a similar size, a process which has been used in New Zealand for some time.
The noise around Jones’ call has caught the attention of the local and national media. Last weekend Jones was quoted in an article about England Rugby’s lack of success since the World Cup winning side of 2003.
In the article Jones was quoted as saying “The game is American football without the pads or helmets. It’s just about joining the dots in terms of the pattern you’re playing and picking beasts. The most important person on the staff now is the strength and conditioner. For me that’s wrong. I say to the big lads: ‘Why do you want to run into someone? Isn’t it easier to pass the ball and take out three defenders? Or sidestep like Jason Robinson?’”
The BBC have interviewed Jones for the Inside Out South West programme also featuring the Bio banding match played between Wellington School and Castle School. The programme went out on Monday 8th February at 7.30pm
Jones says he does feel strongly about taking the game of rugby back to basics and perhaps in the end it will bring the sort of international rugby success that New Zealand are currently enjoying.
Photo: Wellington School versus Castle School, Taunton Bio Banding Rugby Match