Yay for Bullrush

The Herald reports:

Bullrush and other potentially bruising activities are returning to play as research points to the long-term benefits of scraped knees and the odd broken bone.

The moves aim to counterbalance a health-and-safety culture which has seen playgrounds remodelled, particularly overseas where litigation fears have killed off tall slides and seesaws.

Principal Scott Thelning re-introduced bullrush when he was at Christchurch’s Mt Pleasant Primary. He’s now at the city’s Cobham Intermediate, and from Friday, pupils there will be playing the NZ classic.

The game will be monitored by a teacher at first, but eventually children will be able to play unsupervised. A letter will explain the situation to parents and mouthguards will not be compulsory.

Mouthguards? I hope not.

Bullrush is a great game. We played it all the time at school and at Scouts. No kid should grow up without it.