Fun, Friends, Rugby – An Aviva Minis Story From North Kildare

Built on an ethos of Fun, Friends, Rugby, the North Kildare Mini Rugby programme is like so many at clubs all over Ireland. North Kildare have boys and girls mini rugby from U6 to U12 with dedicated girls teams at U11 and U12 and an adaptive tag team called the Skylarks that offers a fun rugby experience for kids with extra needs.

Thousands of happy, smiling boys and girls get their first taste of the game as part of the Aviva Mini rugby programme, and often make friends for life as they grow and learn the FUNdamentals of the game.

Jerry Bradley, North Kildare RFC Minis Co-ordinator stressed the fun,

“The biggest challenge for us is getting parents to ‘jump the fence’ and try a bit of coaching. You don’t need to know rugby, you don’t need any coaching experience, you just have to be willing to have fun. We’ll take care of the rest.”

Eoin Hogan, IRFU Age Grade Manager, said, “Mini rugby is the bedrock of the game, it’s where thousands of boys and girls will start playing and hopefully develop a love of the game for life.

There’s a huge emphasis on delivering quality coaching courses for the parents who want to get involved in coaching at this level but they key is that we never lose sight of the kids. Their fun and development is at the heart of what we do and makes the ‘technical’ stuff worthwhile.

“Clubs like North Kildare and so many others are living and breathing that every week. It’s not about how well you pass, it’s not about how many tries you score – kids will always keep tabs on that anyway – it’s ‘did you have fun’. If the kids are smiling at training or after matches then they will keep coming back and they will develop movement and lifestyle skills that will last a lifetime.”

Aviva Minis

Parents who decide to ‘jump the fence’ and become involved in coaching will be supported in their club and can avail of IRFU Coaching Courses that are delivered at club level. Courses are practical introductions to the FUNdamentals of coaching mini rugby.

For more on coaching and mini rugby click here

Look out for more on the Aviva Minis Festivals on our social channels in the coming weeks.

Visit the Aviva Mini Virtual Hub for skills hub –   Created by IRFU coaches and demonstrated by UL Bohs, Munster & Irish Rugby International player Eimear Considine, this video series caters for kids of all ages and abilities, whether you’re a complete novice or a rising rugby star!

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