Children and Young People

Are you safe?

When you go to your club to play, it should be a chance to have fun, learn some new skills, play a match, or maybe just to hang out with your friends.

For rugby to be fun, you need to know you are safe. That means that other people should treat you with respect, and shouldn't do anything that makes you feel unsafe.

That includes the young people who you play rugby with. It also includes coaches, referees or the people who help to run your club.

There are lots of things in place to make sure that the people who coach rugby and the places where you can play rugby, offer a good service to children and teenagers, and know how to look after you properly.

What to do if you are worried?

Here are some of the ways that you can deal with people who may be causing you problems.

• Tell an adult that you trust. This could be your parents, a coach or someone else at your school or rugby club that you are happy to talk to.
• Your rugby club will have someone that you can speak to. Check your club notice board for details of a Club Safeguarding Officer.

The WRU oversee how rugby in Wales is run, and has a dedicated Safeguarding Unit to help you to stay safe. You can speak to Sarah or Jo on 02920822442. You can also email us at crb@wru.co.uk. If you'd like us to call or email you back, just tell us how and when.

You can also contact Childline on 0800 1111 for advice and support, or visit www.childline.org.uk for lots of ways to ask questions and get help.

For more information about bullying and how to beat it, try Kidscape at www.kidscape.org.uk/childrenteens.

Problem behaviour - what's not okay?

Most people have a great experience playing rugby, but sometimes people might do things that make you or a friend feel unsafe or unhappy. This is not OK. Some of these things might include someone:

• Picking on you or bullying you (this could also be online or via text)
• Hitting you or hurting you
• Making comments about the way you look or speak
• Making racist, sexist or homophobic comments
• Getting you to be friends with them or to meet them or spend time with them when you don't want to
  

These things are not OK, and you have the right to deal with them.

Children and Young People - Helpful Downloads

Play sport stay safe
Worried? Need to talk?