Note: My child chose to be vegan. The family is vegan, but we raised him with the choice of meat for him to decide. Anyway, my child is 13 and at his school they use pigskin rugby balls. Therefore, he cannot play rugby. But the school insists he does and when/if he refuses, they put him in seclusion. I find this very wrong. What can I do about this situation?Note: My child chose to be vegan. The family is vegan, but we raised him with the choice of meat for him to decide. Anyway, my child is 13 and at his school they use pigskin rugby balls. Therefore, he cannot play rugby. But the school insists he does and when/if he refuses, they put him in seclusion. I find this very wrong. What can I do about this situation?

I think someone is trying to take the mickey out of you. Gilbert is the brand name of the major rugby ball supplier and they are artificially made including the bladder. On the other hand if you are only a dietary vegan as against an ethical vegan, it wouldn't matter. If the school is still using leather balls (and that would be unlikely), complain to the headmaster.

that sounds far-fetched; rugby balls haven't been made from anything but synthetic materials since the 70s. If the school really has a pig skin ball, it may be worth something down the antiques fair.

I don't understand what his or her issue is with the ball being made from an animal. He clearly is choosing this himself, as if he were to really understand how much of the stuff around him comes from an animal, he basically wouldn't be living life. Does he not use planes or trains because they have leather seats, does he not wear a hat if it is a certain percent wool? Completely ridiculous

I suggest telling them to use a proper brand of ball as international grade rugby is played with a synthetic Gilbert ball