Rugby chief criticises school sport

Sep 11 2012

Sport in schools has been marginalised by the over-complication of physical education, the director of the national body for rugby has told MSPs.

Scottish Rugby director of operations Colin Thomson said he wants to see multi-sports clubs in the education system, to give every child the opportunity to find a sport that is right for them.

"To me, sport has been marginalised over the years from an over-complication of the whole process," Mr Thomson told Holyrood's Sport Committee.

"We now have a distinction between physical education, physical activity and sport that is unhelpful, and sport is being marginalised by that. We've heard Inspire A Generation throughout the summer but if that generation has no opportunity to participate in what they are watching, then what is the point in inspiring them?"

Mr Thomson was appearing alongside representatives of other governing bodies to give evidence to a Holyrood inquiry into support for community sport.

His comments echo his organisation's written submission to the inquiry, which criticised sports provision in schools. It said that "the fragile nature of sports provision, which is so often dependent on PE staff on short-term contracts", can make it difficult to sustain and impossible to increase participation in rugby in schools.

Many schools depend on non-PE staff who volunteer their time to support their sport, it said, adding that there is also insufficient provision of sport and physical activity within the PE curriculum, such as opt-outs and inactive time.

Some pupils have "very poor levels of physical fitness, physical competence or generic sporting skills/experience as a result of inadequate PE provision in primary and secondary schools" and some PE teachers are lacking "either the physical competence to teach sports or lacking the skills, experience or qualifications to confidently teach technical elements of sports", the submission said.

Scottish Rugby called for action from the Scottish Government and the education profession.

"Schools need to be supported and financed to ensure that there is adequate rugby training and we would like to see all local authorities developing robust sports plans both for their schools and communities, which recognises the importance of rugby as a route to a healthier lifestyle," it said.