TAG Rugby

Very popular in Ireland; but seen as a kiddies game in many places. It has become one of the biggest summer social events in Ireland. In 2007 there were over 28,000 players and 1,700 teams playing Tag Rugby all over the country. This has since increased.

It is a mixed non contact sport. I refereed a Ladies All Ireland Rugby Union game this year and the coach told me that the team was created due to the amount of females who started off in Tag Rugby. He said it was responsable for an increase in playing numbers and has led to creation of new Ladies teams. I was blown away when refereeing the Pig and Porter Tag Rugby festival where Limerick hosted about 2,000 tag rugby players.

I know that its pretty big in Australia but what is it like outside of that. I know that it has played a massive role in incereasing the popularity of Rugby Union in Ireland.

Very interesting question Stag. I enquiried about TAG rugby in my local area about 18 months ago and this is the reply that I got from the major tag rugby organisers in England…

Hi Pete,
Thanks for your email and I am afraid at the moment the adult TAG does seemed confined very much to here in Devon, with a few pockets of interest elsewhere. We are working closely with the Rugby Football Union to try and help encourage more areas to start their own Leagues and Open Evenings but like all these things it's having somebody on the ground who is prepared to organise something. If the success of the game here in Exeter is anything to go by then I am certain it will just be a matter of time before it really catches on. We have had over 300 men and women participate in our Friday evening sessions over the 2 1/2 year and the numbers continue to grow. This even includes a team from the local Devon & Cornwall Police Headquarters.

What the RFU have asked me to do is to forward any enquires on to their Leisure Rugby Department at leisurerugby@therfu.com and they in turn will forward it on to their local Development Officer in you area just in case something is planned for the near future. I am sorry I cannot be of any further assistance than this at the moment but if you know of somebody who might be keen to get something going then I will be more than willing to chat with them to give them some suggestions of what worked and what didn't here in Exeter.

I am convinced that adult TAG will become as popular as it is in Ireland where there are over a 1000 teams playing, we are taking a team over to Limerick this August to play in one of their festivals. I am sure it has had it's part to play in why rugby in Ireland is so hugely popular and why it has had the success it has in recent years.

I haven't really made any enquiries since, but I've not heard of any competitions sprouting up in my local area, so not really sure if it has grown here or not.

Ah yes, Devonians taking the initiative as usual!!

I'm very sad that our team had to disband this year. I would also love to have an indoor winter league in place rather than just summer.

It is or was,played widely in Nz a children level on smaller pitches[mixed sex sin some cases]and over shorter periods.I assume that by tag you mean "touch" non -contact .Was very popular with the kids don`t know about now.

Tag rugby is great fun but you would be surprised the amount of injuries sustained in tag. Played rugby over twenty years but never broke a bone until I played tag, also tore my Achilles which was actually much worse. All my physios and the staff at ER said most the sports injuries they see are from TAG. It is awesome Craic though.

emack2 wrote:I assume that by tag you mean "touch" non -contact.

No it is different. The players wear velcro belts with two coloured ribbons attached. To complete a "tackle" you pull off the ribbon. Once that is done the tackled player rolls ball back line rugby league. The defense retreats 5m.

emack2 wrote:It is or was,played widely in Nz a children level on smaller pitches[mixed sex sin some cases]and over shorter periods.I assume that by tag you mean "touch" non -contact .Was very popular with the kids don`t know about now.

It's called tag because you wear shorts with Velcro tags stuck to either side. Rather than tackling someone you just rip the tag off.

Staggy I posted a link about the IRFU's tag rugby programme on one of the old pubs and no one responded to me! Unfortunately the season has started now and I wasn't able to get a full team together. There's a big following up here played on Tuesday nights all over the province. The beach tag tournament is coming up soon as well. More hopeful of getting a team together for that. Willing women are hard to come by (story of my life)...

Maybe a 606V2 Beach Tag Team is in order?

Hang on while I have a rummage around for a few links.

http://www.irishrugby.ie/matchdaytv/play/media/id/8579

https://m.facebook.com/pages/IRFU-Tag-Rugby/173623766000591?_rdr

The one thing that bothers me about Tag Rugby in Ireland is the way the two organisations (ITRA & IRFU) treat each other. I have refereed and played both. Few if any differences.

At referee training fairly derogatory comments are thrown around about the other. In reality most players use both organisations without noticing.

I prefer the IRFU one. The ITRA one is much more offensive and more expensive to boot.

MBTGOG wrote:I prefer the IRFU one. The ITRA one is much more offensive and more expensive to boot.

I agree with you.

Didn't the IRFU just coat tail the ITRAs success rather than offering then much support from the start? Maybe this is why they are at loggerheads.

leinsterbaby wrote:Didn't the IRFU just coat tail the ITRAs success rather than offering then much support from the start? Maybe this is why they are at loggerheads.

In a way yes. They took a lot of business from them. I can understand why they are at loggerheads; just a shame.

What I use not like in ITRA was that they used get criticise me and MBTGOG also actually for not using more cards when refereeing. I told them that for a social league I would treat physical hurt and abusive behavior with cards but I would manage the rest of it fine without them. And I did. It used to urine me off though to be told to give more red and yellow cards.

There's an adults Tag rugby league in South London that plays on Clapham Common every Tuesday.

Setup by a bunch of Aussies, I think, but attracts a decent mixed group.

Personally I've never fancied it: my skillset isn't subtle enough, and is more shoulder than wrist based....

You'd be surprised how quick skills improve. There was a guy big soccer fan who joined our team. Could catch a ball and run initially. After a while he was making deft passes off both hands.

It does encourage having good ball skills. I played tag a few years ago and I know people who are getting a team together so might join in. It is as much about the fun and social element as it is about the game.

My club plays all summer long. Going to America in a few weeks and my colleagues there also play all summer. Not a formal league, but on Thursday nights a large group of folks show up and multiple teams are formed. Can include kids from their older youth levels.

red_stag wrote:What I use not like in ITRA was that they used get criticise me and MBTGOG also actually for not using more cards when refereeing. I told them that for a social league I would treat physical hurt and abusive behavior with cards but I would manage the rest of it fine without them. And I did. It used to urine me off though to be told to give more red and yellow cards.

I only ever got one card for talking too much from the sideline. Probably deserved it too.

Really not a fan of tag rugby, maybe because it is the only time I have ever been sent off!

I took a tag off a player and he passed at the same time. Instead of politely handing him his tag back I threw it at him and chased the guy with the ball who was about to score - I got sent off for bad sportsmanship! Was raging!

I much prefer touch myself. Two handed touch as well - non of this one handed milarky. Any idiot can slap someone with one hand or pull a tag out but at least with two handed touch you are as close to a tackle without actually doing one.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Really not a fan of tag rugby, maybe because it is the only time I have ever been sent off!

I took a tag off a player and he passed at the same time. Instead of politely handing him his tag back I threw it at him and chased the guy with the ball who was about to score - I got sent off for bad sportsmanship! Was raging!

I much prefer touch myself. Two handed touch as well - non of this one handed milarky. Any idiot can slap someone with one hand or pull a tag out but at least with two handed touch you are as close to a tackle without actually doing one.

Pulling a ribbon a few cm long off a moving player is very difficult. As for your sending off thats terrible refereeing.

How realistic is it for a real rugby situation though? Pulling a tag out isn't really close to making a tackle (the action of pulling a tag is totally different) but a two handed touch (especially if you have to touch below the waste) can teach good tackle technique, in my opinion.

I think it was because it was a schools rugby tournament and the emphasis was on fair play and sportsmanship. The even had a fair play award for the most sporting team - needless to say we didn't win that one after getting sent off!

Grabbing that tag is actually quite hard. I have nearly pulled the shorts of a few chicks trying to get at their ribbons.

RDW_Scotland wrote:How realistic is it for a real rugby situation though?

Its not. Nothing to do with real rugby. Its just a summer sport for having fun that keeps people fit, allows for men and women to play together and get people used to the shape of the ball, passing, catching, evading etc.

For Rugby Union training two handed touch is better but its not there for that purpose.

Mixed "touch" rugby has other advantages too....

RDW_Scotland, agreed. At least with a two handed touch you can get in front of the player and stop them from taking that crafty extra step.....by force if needs be!

Essentially it's a training game that just whets the appetite for the real thing. Great for kids to learn new skills, but adult male tag rugby players really ought to have a word with themselves

Adam wrote:Great for kids to learn new skills, but adult male tag rugby players really ought to have a word with themselves

Why?

Because it's a pale imitation of the real thing whose complexity is dulled by the elimination of contact.

...as a development exercise it's fair enough. But if you're an adult and you're playing tag rugby, you're not really playing rugby at all.....which is fair enough, but it ain't rugby.

Adam wrote:Because it's a pale imitation of the real thing whose complexity is dulled by the elimination of contact.

...as a development exercise it's fair enough. But if you're an adult and you're playing tag rugby, you're not really playing rugby at all.....which is fair enough, but it ain't rugby.

But it only takes place when the rugby season is over. There is no Rugby Union on at the same time.

Maybe in some places, but my mate has played it throughout the rugby season this year....I'm not sure how it works in Ireland.

In terms of inter-season, how is Tag better than touch, which is what the clubs I've played at have always played in training and pre-season?

Probably because it's too soft or something but if you have to work every day it's nice not to have to go to work all battered plus it's better than doing nada. My old body can no longer take the hits.

Adam wrote:Maybe in some places, but my mate has played it throughout the rugby season this year....I'm not sure how it works in Ireland.

In terms of inter-season, how is Tag better than touch, which is what the clubs I've played at have always played in training and pre-season?

The non contact element of tag is the seller. It allows for both men and women to play with little risk of injury or funny legal questions to answer. Its just something thats taken off in Ireland. Rugby season is September to May and for the summer months the tag rugby season kicks off.

That's the theory but in reality there are lots of injuries.

Theres 2 TAG teams in Wales that Im aware of, the Celtic Barbarians and the Bridgend Heiffers, both teams based in bridgend.

In fact there is a tournament being held in bridgend this year with teams coming from all over the world, if anyone would like any details on it let me know.

leinsterbaby wrote:That's the theory but in reality there are lots of injuries.

In NZ Touch Rugby (I'd never heard of Tag rugby before moving to Britain) is an incredibly popular summer social sport. It gets people out in the sun, develops passing skills (there's a reason for the passing skills in the All Blacks' forward pack) and you can play on weeknights after work. It's also a common cause of sports injuries in NZ (see here for examples of govt injury prevention guff distributed as a result), most years there are more sports injury claims from Touch than from League (though rugby accounts for 3 times as many as the 2 combined, see pages 13 and 14 here if you're a stats geek.