English youth rugby's obsession with size stunts the progress of talent | Robert Kitson

Replying to our article last week, Mike Umaga questions why his son Jacob was artificially bulked up and laments how skill can be treated in the junior ranksLast week we highlighted the problem of England’s wasted rugby youth and wondered if the topic might chime with a few people. The ensuing days have been revealing and hugely instructive: messages have cascaded in from former internationals, from schoolboy coaches and from concerned parents alike, many raising more stark questions for those in charge of developing young players.No one disputes there are good coaches or is suggesting the aca…