But the Canberra junior system is set to road test a new way of evaluating player development in the coming months to enhance enjoyment and protect players of different abilities.

The ACT junior rugby union will also become the first in Australia to set up specific girls competitions for ages 13-17 when the season begins at the end of April.

It comes less than a year after footage emerged of a wrecking ball child destroying opponents in a junior rugby league competition in Canberra and some parents expressed concerns about player safety.

It's understood the ACTJRU and the Brumbies are working together on a pilot program that will test players, likely in the under-13 division, and monitor their progress to see how they should be ranked.

Some parents fear contact sports because children develop at different rates, with one mother telling Fairfax Media last year her son said: "This was supposed to be fun, but it's not" after being dwarfed by other teams.

Rugby league competitions in Sydney and New Zealand trialled weight restrictions to match player sizes to level out the competition.

But the ARU is using a more advanced system to judge player ability and size in a game that relies on different shapes and skills for all positions.

Parents or coaches can request a review of which grade their child falls into, with players eligible to play in competitions one year above or below their specific age group.

Each case will be assessed individually and moving children up or down in age groups is expected to be rare.

"All of these changes are designed to maximise safety, participation and inclusion in rugby, so we're delighted that these policies and procedures will be implemented nationwide for the 2017 season," said ARU general manager of community rugby Andrew Larratt.

"While many clubs and competitions have already been using similar policies, this new national framework will strengthen our national approach to safety and inclusion in rugby."

The ACTJRU is keen to see how the program develops while also using a new system, which include GPS devices for 13-year-olds, to assess children.

"For us, it's all around the children and their enjoyment for the game," said ACTJRU president Martin Sullivan.

"That means safety is paramount. You've got to retain the shapes and sizes of rugby, but it is about safety for kids and parents. We don't want anyone to have a bad rugby experience."

Rugby participation made headlines for the wrong reasons earlier this week when a Roy Morgan study said the code's 55,000 participants, a 61 per cent drop since 2001, had it level with ballroom dancing.

However, the ARU hit back and cited its own figures that more than 270,000 people had played five games or more last year, putting it above rugby league and Australian football.

Canberra club Easts are working hard to reinvigorate junior numbers and have introduced a program where they will cover registration and kit fees for children from different backgrounds.

The ACTJRU has also set up girls competitions while the ARU has changed its policy to allow girls to play in the same team and against boys until they are 15 years old instead of the previous limit of 12 years old.

Women's rugby is growing after Australia won an Olympic Games gold medal in rugby sevens last year and Sullivan said it was time girls had more opportunities in the sport.

"There will be a competition for 13 and 14-year-olds and 16 and 17-year-olds, it's a great initiative," Sullivan said.

"Now there is the opportunity for them to play is so good. Women's rugby is growing and the girls competition in Canberra is going to be the first in Australia.

"We saw a chance to grow the game for the girls so they don't miss out on that."