32 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 18, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com CRUISING: Callum Tam of the Oakville Crusaders under-8 team attempts to avoid an opponent's grasp during Saturday's mini tournament at Crusader Park. The tournament, which had more than 500 players from 12 clubs, is the largest in the province for players under the age of 12. The Crusaders boast one of the largest mini programs with 160 players registered this season. Players 10 and under play flag rugby with no tackling allowed. DEREK WOOLLAM / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Rugby is child's play for Crusaders Successful mini program continues to grow, helping young players learn finer points of the game By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Walking across the parking lot, a young player in a yellow and black jersey, having just finished a game, excitedly asks, `When's our next game?' "Two other teams are playing now," he's told. "Are we playing after that?" he asks. "No, there's another game and we play after that one." "Awwwww," he says, the disappointment of having to wait more than an hour to play again evident in his voice. It's the kind of enthusiasm Derek McCann never thought he would experience for the sport of rugby in Canada. "I've been playing since I was nine," said McCann who learned the game at school in Ireland. "Here, usually a kid doesn't get a ball into his hands until he's 16." While Canadian kids are taught the basics of basketball, volleyball soccer and baseball in elementary school, rugby has been viewed as too violent or too risky -- a version of football with few rules and even less padding. "A lot of people get the impression that you just go mad and throw people around," said Gareth Harries, coach of the Crusaders' under-12 teams. However, the sport is gaining a foothold in Oakville thanks the Crusaders' minirugby (under-12) program. Despite an ever increasing spectrum of sports available to kids, the Crusaders' program continues to grow. In the past five years, registration in the mini program has grown from 20 play- ers to 160 in three age groups with multiple "When you start off young, you learn the teams at each level. basics," Harries added. "Here we're exposing "It's getting to the point where we have to them to running forward while passing the seriously consider having a house league," ball backward." said Dave Haslam, the club's under-8 head Eleven-year-old Chris Arnold was looking coach. for a change when he signed up for the mini Saturday the Crusaders hosted the program last year. province's largest mini tour"It's something different," nament with more than 500 said the Grade 6 student at "Within the next 10 players from 12 clubs particMcLaughlin College. "I didipating. n't always want to go back years we'll have kids It's a sign of the sport's to soccer. (Rugby) is quite who have played for continued growth at the easy to learn and it's a lot of 13 years, just like younger age levels, a develfun." hockey. With that opment that will only benefit Arnold couldn't get experience you can't the game down the road. enough of the game on "Within the next 10 years Saturday, even subbing -- help but play at a we'll have kids who have and scoring a try -- for a higher level." played for 13 years, just like Fergus team that was playthey do in hockey," said ing shorthanded. Derek McCann, McCann, who coached in the "It looks really rough Oakville Crusaders mini program until moving and tough but they're under-14 coach up with its graduates to the taught how to fall and how under-14 team. "With that to tackle," said his mom experience you can't help but play at a high- Darlene. er level." But while it's one thing for a mother to The Crusaders have already proven capa- send her son off to a rugby pitch, it's quite ble of competing at a high level. The club another to sign up your seven-year-old has three players on the national under-19 daughter. Hannah Morton was coming out team and seven on the Ontario under-14 each week to watch her older brothers squad. Putting a rugby ball in their hands at Joshua and Noah play and decided she'd like an early age and teaching them the basics to try it as well. Her dad Jamie played uniwill only help. versity rugby and now coaches with the "Think of hockey -- a kid who doesn't Crusaders so he knew all about the club's play until he's 16 is going to be skating with emphasis on safety. Even Hannah's mom, his head down," McCann said. "It's the same Carol, had few concerns. in rugby. If they have the basic skills, the "Any sport -- hockey, soccer, baseball -- player is looking around being aware of has its risks," she said. "I think when you're what's going on around him." protected, you take more risks." Hannah's been thrilled to get a chance to play the same sport as her brothers - not too mention looking good doing it. "It's a really cool sport and you get cool jerseys," said the Grade 2 student at Osprey Woods Public School, one of 20 girls in the mini program. Mini program manager Ravi Ponnambalam said the team moms have played a big part in the program's expansion by organizing barbecues to raise funds. An expanded coaching base has also helped. All the Crusaders' coaches are certified and if a parent wants to help out on the sidelines, the club will pay for coaching clinics. The program gradually introduces elements of the game at different age levels. Under-8 and under-10 divisions play flag rugby with no tackling allowed. There is no rucking and mauling, instead when a referee calls a tackle (or a player's flag is pulled in the younger divisions), opposing players must back up three metres, allowing the offensive team to pass the ball backward and restart the play. Also, scrums only involve three players per team with no pushing allowed. "It's more to help them get used to how to form a scrum and so that when they see an eight-man scrum they'll know how it builds together," McCann said. "By the time they finish under-12, they are only a couple of rules removed from a full game." Ponnambalam said even though there is a competitive aspect to the tournament, there is not a playoff round or champion declared. "Participation is our key objective," he said.