Barnes Rugby Minis & Juniors
Barnes Rugby Club runs a thriving Minis and Junior programme, the success of which is testament to its energetic, inclusive team spirit and excellent coaching. They are always keen to welcome new families to their rugby community, and the younger the better! Children can join from as young as four years old. In 2022, Barnes Youth Rugby celebrated their 15th birthday, and now they are seeing original Minis playing for the club’s senior teams. To get a fuller flavour of their ethos and community impact, please take a look at their overall website and the Minis team section in particular: Barnes Rugby Football Club Minis (barnesrfc.org).
Last season, Barnes Youth Rugby had over 700 players, including sixty Under 5 players. The 4:1 coach to player ratio means children learn a range of rugby skills in a fun and supportive environment. Numbers are strong throughout the Minis age groups, which could be due to the excellent quality of coaching, or may be something to do with the regular free hot dogs in the clubhouse after training!
Unusually, Barnes Rugby Minis (4-11yrs) train on Saturday mornings (as opposed to Sundays) on the Barn Elms Sports Trust playing fields opposite the Wetland Centre. It makes an invigorating start to the weekend, with fresh air, exercise and coffee!
Barnes Rugby Minis play at a high standard at festivals across Experienced and Development levels. They also receive great feedback from other clubs on the attractive style they play and the positive attitude of the boys and girls on the pitch. Everyone who wants to play in festivals on Sundays is able to play but it is not mandatory.
Barnes Rugby Juniors (11-16yrs) and Colts (17-18yrs) play at Barn Elms Sport Centre, at the end of Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, taking advantage of additional pitch space to enhance their regular training and increase the number of inter-club fixtures. A number of Bank of England teams joined up with Barnes and they are now able to use the pitch at the old Bank of England site too.
It’s great to see the impressive number of girls also playing at Barnes Youth Rugby, with over 42 in Minis and 12 in Juniors. The girls are often treated to coaching sessions with England Roses. Up to U11, girls play in mixed teams with the boys on Saturdays. The Junior Girls – as yet only the U12 age group – train on Sundays.
Barnes Youth Rugby is also proud of its extensive community outreach programme. They have sponsored many kids to train, play and tour with Barnes RFC, so they can experience rugby and benefit from the life-long skills and discipline that it teaches. Please contact them on the email below if you would like to apply for the exceptional circumstances scheme with Barnes Rugby Club.
Barnes Rugby Club runs Friday floodlit tag rugby festivals for local state schools in the autumn each year. These are really popular with schools who get to introduce their cohorts at Years 3&4 and Years 5&6 to mixed tag rugby. They also run a girls-only festival for Years 3-6 to give the girls an early introduction to girls-only rugby.
Membership for the 2023/2024 season costs £200, with substantial discounts for siblings, girls, and players in the U5 and U6 age groups. You can sign up here. There is also a 3-week trial membership available, valid for three training sessions, which you can sign up for here. The clubhouse is based on Queen Elizabeth Walk, Barnes SW13 9SA. For more information, please emai Peter Thomas at membership@barnesyouthrugby.org.
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