Coles Backyard League Philosophy

Coles Backyard League is set to revolutionise the way Rugby League skills are taught in schools and the benefits the game brings to children, by equipping them with the tools to play a version of the game in any environment while delivering important education, health and welfare messages.

The Coles Backyard League concept aims to make children more effectively play and organise games for themselves by allowing them to negotiate the format and rules to suit the needs and capabilities of the group. Rugby League is the first sport to embrace this concept.

Children playing Coles Backyard League are required to play the game cooperatively, with strong similarities to traditional community/park/playground games, where children of all sizes, abilities and gender can be involved.

Children will be introduced to the negotiable and non-negotiable rules which make the game look like Rugby League, however, ultimately, the game they play will be ‘their game’, played to their format and rules to maximise their learning and enjoyment.

For example, children may change the rules to allow a player of lesser speed and ability to need to be touched by four hands to constitute a tackle. A faster, more evasive player may only need to be touched by one hand.

Coles Backyard League will allow boys and girls of all shapes, sizes and abilities to emulate their NRL heroes or simply be active and become involved in Rugby League at a less formal level.

The program will also be intrinsically linked with Rugby League’s One Community ‘Eat Well, Play Well, Stay Well’ program, allowing development officers and teachers to deliver key health messages in a fun environment.

Roll out

In 2010, all Australian Rugby League Development (ARLD) primary and secondary in-school programs will deliver Backyard League.

Three to five-week programs will see an ARL Development Officer attend in Weeks 1 and 2, to facilitate the teaching of basic skills so children can go on to play cooperatively in Weeks 3 and 4.

The program will culminate in an ‘intra-school’ gala day.

One-off clinics will expose children to the basics of the concept including playing a round of Backyard League during the clinic.

Reach

Coles Backyard League expects to reach between 750,000 and 1.2 million children nationally each year, not including the siblings and friends of Backyard League participants, who will subsequently be able to play Rugby League ‘in their own backyard.’

The Benefits

Eat Well Play Well Stay Well (EWPWSW)

Each child that participates in Backyard League will watch an educational DVD featuring NRL players and children explaining the concept of the game, in particular that children can ‘negotiate the rules’ to make the game fair and fun for all. The DVD also features NRL players delivering health and wellbeing messages to children, encouraging them to ‘Eat Well, Play Well and Stay Well.’

Each teacher that runs a Backyard League program will receive a teacher’s resource kit containing a copy of the DVD and lesson plans suitable for primary school personal development and health curriculum areas. The lesson plans are action orientated and include a broad selection of Rugby League themes.

Through the EWSWPW resources, children will be encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles and make positive choices, while teachers can potentially meet curriculum teaching requirements.