The History of Touch Rugby at St Albans RFC
Touch Rugby was introduced to St Albans RFC by Doug Morete, a Kiwi, who joined the club from Pakaranga, New Zealand. Started in 1995 as an informal tournament on a Sunday afternoon and gathering momentum it soon graduated to a summer evening running for 5 weeks from end May through June each year catering for up to 16 teams.
The tradition and flavour of the event is friendly tournament - a way to relax after a long hard season of rugby. Players and non-players of the full contact sport can enjoy the game alongside each other.
The St Albans Touch Rugby tournament has few rules and the key one is sportsmanship. The aim is for all participants to enjoy the event in a spirit of comradeship.
The Origins & Benefits of Touch Rugby
Touch Rugby is a non-contact adaptation of Rugby. Its origins can be traced back to the 1950’s & 60’s in Australia where it was used as a warm up game for both rugby codes.
It is free-running dynamic game where touching an opposing player replaces the tackle of the full contact game. Touch rugby is an easy game to learn with simple rules. It no scrums, lineouts, rucks or mauls and is played with minimal contact.
Benefits of Touch Rugby:
· It helps to develop key skills and fitness used in both rugby codes and other sports.
· It is simple to learn.
· Can be played by both beginners and experienced players.
· Requires minimal equipment
· Can be played by all shapes, sizes and fitness levels
· No special clothing required
Touch Rugby – Frequently Asked Questions Q. I have never played Touch Rugby before – is it easy to learn? A. It is an easy game to learn and it after 3 or 4 games you will soon pick up the basic skills. Why not have look at the laws of the game set out on this website. Q. How fit do I need to be to play? A. People of all levels of fitness play. You can decide what level you want to play at. Playing will also help to increase your own fitness levels. Q. What kit do I need to play in? A. You will nee normal gym equipment – t-shirt, tracksuit bottoms or shorts and trainers. If you have a pair of rugby or football boots or trainers that have enhanced grip them this will help give you extra grip. Q. How big is the pitch? A. At St Albans the pitch played on is half the size of a normal rugby pitch. The surface is grass. Q. How many people play in a team? A. At St Albans there are 10 players in each team for the duration of the tournament. This number may vary from other Touch Rugby tournaments and depends on the rules of the tournament. Q. How does the Tournament at St Albans work? A. The first week is always one of friendly games where teams can establish themselves. The Tournament begins properly the following week. It runs every Thursday evening and lasts for 5 weeks. The last night is finals night and is held on a Friday so that teams can stay and socialise over a BBQ and music. Q. I do not have a team so how do I get a game? A. There are always plenty of teams looking for players and would welcome any new players to their team. Just come down on the first night and see the organisers. We will find a team for you to join. Q. How do I enter team? A. Contact the organisers and let them know that you want to enter your team. Contact details can be found on this website. Q. How much does it cost to enter? A. The cost is £50 per team or £5 per person for the whole Tournament Q. How does the tournament work? A. Teams will play in leagues, then semi finals. Finals ar played on the last night of the competition. In addition the aim is that every week teams will have both a competition and a friendly game to help improve skills and understanding of the game.
Please register your team in advance - Registration fee: £50 per team Please register your team in advance - Registration fee: £50 per team(No further payments required)Applications: to Carole Peel tel 07745429172
(No further payments required)Applications: to Carole Peel carolepeel@hotmail.co.uk tel 07745429172
Please register your team in advance - Registration fee: £50 per team(No further payments required)Applications: to Carole Peel tel 07745429172