You’d think that English rugby’s governing body,  the Rugby Football Union (RFU),  would be keen to develop youngsters and provide the national team with a constant supply of top class talent.

If so, they are going about it in a funny way since they have just announced to schools and clubs that  there will be no more trophies for successful under-11 sides and if any game appears to be too one-sided players will be swapped around at half time to balance things up. The emphasis is to be on developing skills rather than the result of the game.

What kind of a lesson is that to give to kids on sport, or on life for that matter? Of course the result matters and a determination to win the game is surely the biggest factor in the development of game-winning skills in any sport. This just smacks, once again, of political correctness and a desire to tell children how life should be rather than how it really is.

Whether our politicians, teachers and sports administrators like it or not, the fact is, life is a competition. From the lowliest single-cell organism to mankind life is a competition resulting in success or failure, victory or defeat and sometimes life or death.

As  Vince Lombardi, the legendary and hugely successful American Football player and coach once said  “Winning isn’t  everything, it’s the only thing”.