Why aren't you playing touch rugby?

This Wednesday in fairly decent heat (about 90F so 32C for the rest of the world) about 24 hardy souls from the Cary Claymores and Coach Chris from the North Raleigh Redhawks turned out for a couple of hours of running around (with plenty of water breaks) to play some touch rugby. Kids ages varied from around 6 to 14 with about 8 parents/coaches joining in. Everyone got the touch the ball, everyone got to run forward (some sideways and backwards but we are working on that), everyone got to pass, most of the kids got to score tries and everyone had fun - why weren't you there? We do it most every week.

Touch Rugby is the sport you want to get involved with, it is the sport you want your kids to get involved in and all they need equipment wise is shoes, clothes to run around in and the want to learn about the game that will help them hugely in life, especially when it comes to making decisions, teamwork and respect.

This week we had a new Dad bring his 2 kids out for the first time, boy and a girl. The son wants to bring out 3 friends next week, the daughter wants to bring a friend out also. Admittedly they have a bit of rugby in their blood with their Dad having played at a national level for Samoa in Rugby League but this was the first time they had played structured touch rugby and they wanted more. There was also a kid who plays kicky round ball who saw us playing and wanted in, pretty sure he will be back just because he had fun (and some decent speed). There are very few sports that I can think of where you have 250lb adults running around on the paddock with 6 year old kids and no one is getting run over or hurt, it is usually the 250lbers that hurt more at the end of the practice than the kids, speaking from experience :)

Tall, short, fast, slow, boy, girl, old, young - all are welcome at a Touch Rugby scrimmage.

Wait a second you ask, what about this comment you made on helping kids make decisions, learn teamwork and respect? How can that be justified?

It is a well known fact with established research (probably, but not researched by me) that rugby is a game where individual decision making is paramount (sorry, I mean 'important' for the props reading this). Every player is a General, every player gets to make a decision on whether to run, pass or kick the ball. Kids are not running routes hoping that the Quarterback will throw them the ball. They are involved in the action both on offense and defense, they are communicating, they take a knee as a team if someone gets a bump, they celebrate tries from both their side and the opposition, they do not showboat when they score instead they pick up the ball and head back to half way to go again and most importantly we all have fun.

And it's not just happening in Cary. Saturday mornings at 9am the North Raleigh Redhawks have a touch scrimmage. Last weekend there was a group of us running and passing and laughing and sweating and having a great time. Coach Jason from the Clayton Copperheads was out there (whose daughter is an absolute rockstar on the paddock), Coach Byron, who got to watch his Stormers lose to the Hurricanes later that day, sorry but not sorry mate :), was out there also with more great kids and adults of all ages and sizes.

I might get in trouble for sharing this secret, but Rugby is more than just a sport played by large lads and lasses with funny looking ears (mainly the lads with the funny looking ears), it is a game for all and once you get infected by the bug you won't shake it. Sure, Touch Rugby doesn't have the contact aspect of Rugby (that is why it is called Touch, lad) but all the other mental and personal development skills are there. I personally think that touch rugby will be one of the fastest growing sports in the US soon just simply because people need to get out there and play sports for both mental and physical health reasons and touch allows everyone to get out there and have a go. You are more likely to suffer concussion (as a kid) playing kicky round ball than you are playing touch, just think about that. And it's not as if the Kicky Round Ball clubs are letting adults get out there and run around with the kids. Well guess what, we are, and we promote it. When it comes to Jamborees sure we will have the kids play against the other kids of their age but the scrimmages, the practices, the running around and having fun, well that is open to all comers and we look forward to seeing you out on the paddock.


Obviously this weeks Poets Day post was a shameless plug for touch rugby, but it is not just about getting people to join us at the Cary Claymores, it also a shameless plug for the North Raleigh Redhawks, The Clayton Copperheads, The Chapel Hill Highlanders the Charlotte Tigers, Bay Back in CA, Colorado State Rugby, Eden Rugby Club Juniors and rugby clubs all over this not-flat world we live on. If they don't have a touch program get them to create one, it's not difficult and it is well worth it. Just remember that even if the ref is wrong he is right as he has the whistle, that this is about participation (not the trophies) and to have fun.

Work hard, play hard and earn your inspirations


Happy Poets Day and catch you out on the paddock soon.

Cheers

Coach Kiwi :)