You have to be 6 years to be able to play in competitive matches but you may be able to join Old Scouts earlier if your parent stays with you and the coach feels you are ready to take part.

What days do you meet?

Under 7 to Under 16 have training sessions or matches each Sunday from September to April. Junior age groups, U13s to U16s may also train midweek.

The Academy squad trains on Tuesdays and Thursdays alongside the Senior Squad. They play their matches on Saturdays.

The fixture list will tell you what is happening and you should always check with your coach for any changes

Which age group will I be in?

The age groups are taken from birthdays between September 1st and August 31st.

What kit do I need?

You will need a pair of boots with kite marked aluminium studs/blades, a pair of navy shorts and a pair of Old Scouts socks. You can sometimes have to stand around in cold and wet conditions so you will need to bring layers of clothing - joggers, training tops, waterproofs etc. Remember you can always take layers off!

You will be provided with a playing shirt on match days.

All players are expected to arrive on match days in ‘number 1s’ and change into them after the game.

Does my ‘parent’ have to stay with me?

Yes if you are under 7, 8 or 9 as we don’t have enough coaches to manage toilet escort, drink supervision, shoe lace tying etc. A parent can agree to designate another parent/adult to take responsibility

Can I play if I am a girl?

Old Scouts welcomes girls to rugby if you are under 7 to under 12. The RFU says that you can’t play mixed rugby after under 12.

Can I play if I have a disability?

Of course. Talk to our Safeguarding Officer and we will talk about how we can make it happen

How much are Subs?

Subs are set for the forthcoming season at our AGM which is usually in July. There are different levels for Midis (U6s), Minis (U7s-U12s) and Juniors. Parents (existing and new who are registered on the website), will get a Welcome Letter for the season (which is also published on our website), which will tell you what subs are due for the season. We collect all our payments through using GoCardless as the Direct Debit provider (with over 300 children, we need a robust method). Parents have the option to pay the annual subs in a single payment, or in 4 our 8 monthly payments. It is not possible to collect payments in cash,by card payment not by BACS. The GoCardless payments are secure Direct Debit payments covered by the DD Guarentee. The club does not have access to any of your bank details.

What insurance cover is there?

In simple terms a sporting injury occurring in a match or training scenario would not be covered by the RFU compulsory scheme, the view being that the rugby is a contact sport and therefore by its nature carries some risk of injury. The RFU website offers further information. Go to www.rfu.com and type ‘insurance’ in the ‘find’ box.