Applied Coaching Research Journal Research Journal 4 | Page 18

APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 4
APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 4
Broadly, as a late specialisation sport, rugby league
employs a later TIDS compared to other team sports
(eg football; Noon et al, 2015). However, a challenge
for rugby league academies is that the first talent
identification and development stage (see scholarship
in Table 1 or Year 9 ‘Gateway Options’ on Figure 1)
predominantly occurs during key periods of growth
and maturation (ie adolescence, 14 years of age).
This provides some key challenges and obstacles
for clubs, coaches and scouts to consider within
their talent identification and player recruitment
processes.
Figure 1: UK rugby league talent pathway (RFL, 2016)
Table 1 summarises the stages of the talent pathway and the developmental opportunities offered at each
level.
Table 1: Overview of the rugby league talent pathway
Level
Age
Participation 6 years
– Adult
England
Talent
Pathway
Description
Developmental opportunities
All Opportunities to participate in
Volunteer coaches
rugby league within education and
Play for enjoyment
community clubs
All Talent development opportunities
for all players regardless of
current ability run by the
professional clubs
Coach education programme
Development days run by
professional clubs
Predominantly delivered by
volunteer coaches
Scholarship 14–16
years Maximum Players identified and selected to
40
a professional club scholarship for
training and competition purposes.
Players still remain in their own
environment (education/club) Train 2–3 times per week
Enhanced level of competition
(6–8 games per year)
Professional coaches (part-time)
Medical/sport science support
Academy 16–19
years Approx.
10 at
U17,
U18, U19 Players become contracted (ie
paid) and train and compete
only within the professional club
environment. Players are involved
in full-time education programmes Train 4–5 times per week
Academy competition (23 games
per year)
Professional coaches (full-time)
Medical/sport science support
17
years –
Adult Approx.
25 per
club Adult rugby where players
train and compete within a
senior professional (full-time) or
semi-professional (part-time)
team. Part-time players continue
education or gain employment Train 4–6 times per week
Full adult competition
(30+ games)
Professional coaches (full-time)
Medical/sport science support
(level dependent upon playing
level)
Professional
18
12–14
years
Number
of
players
Annual age grouping and maturation: effect on talent
identification and development
Young rugby players are grouped into chronological
annual-age categories (eg under 13s) for training and
competition purposes. This is similar to education
and most other sports within the UK. The allocation
of players into annual-age categories is based on
birth date and the selection start date agreed by
the sport’s governing body (ie 1 September in the
UK). This process is designed to provide equal
competition and developmental opportunities for
young players and from a talent identification
perspective should allow equal opportunities for
athletes to enter a TIDS. However, this annual-age
grouping policy fails to consider the chronological
age differences between individuals born within
the same annual-age category, otherwise known as
~
relative age differences (ie 1 September
vs 31 August
birth). Furthermore, there can be large differences
in the maturity status of individuals of the same
chronological age.
Maturation is defined as the timing (ie when it
occurs) and tempo (ie the rate at which it occurs) of
progress towards the mature adult state (Malina et al,
2004). The timing of maturation can relate to the age
when the maximum gains in growth occur (otherwise
known as peak height velocity or ‘the growth spurt’)
or sexual maturation (the development of secondary
sexual characteristics, eg pubic hair appearance).
Within boys, these maturity events generally
occur at approximately 14 years of age (the same
time as talent identification within rugby league).
From the early work of Tanner in the 1960s it has
been recognised that boys and girls of the same
chronological age can vary considerably in relation to
the timing of these events, resulting in boys maturing
either ‘early’, ‘on time’ or ‘late’.
With this large variability in the timing of maturity
comes physical performance advantages. Research
has shown that youths who mature early are
generally bigger, stronger, faster and more powerful
than their later maturing peers (Till and Jones, 2015),
providing performance advantages in the sport of
rugby. Based on chronological annual-age grouping
policy and varied maturity status, youth rugby
league players can be (dis)advantaged within talent
identification.
(Dis)advantages in UK rugby league
Previous research by Till and colleagues (eg Till et
al, 2010a, 2010b) evidenced two problems common
with TIDS in youth rugby league: 1) relative age
effects (RAEs); and 2) maturity selection biases.
Ultimately, both these problems have resulted in the
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