Come and enjoy touch rugby

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RUGBY NEWS AND VIDEO - If you want the opportunity to represent your province in touch rugby, you should be at Outeniqua Park on Friday afternoon, 4 August.

The SWD Touch Rugby Association will be holding official trials to select teams for tournaments and matches against teams from other provinces.

The campaign kicks of with trials on 4 August and thereafter will run every Friday night with practices and matches to prepare teams and learn the game.

According to Tyron Fuchsloch, chairperson of the SWD Touch Rugby Association, the teams selected at the trials on 4 August will play against all the other provinces in Durban in October.

Fuchsloch has represented both provincial and national touch rugby teams. He was a member of the Touch Boks at three world cups over the past 20 years, travelling all over the world to play touch rugby, and is very excited to share his knowledge and grow the sport in our province.

Any person who feels they have what it takes to represent their province at touch rugby is welcome to attend the trials. Teams will be coached and guided by Springbok touch rugby coaches leading up to the tournament in October.

"At this tournament, our players can also be scouted to represent the Touch Boks at the upcoming touch rugby world cup in Nottingham, England in June 2024, which I will be attending as a player for the over 30s mixed side. This will be my fourth world cup representing South Africa."

According to Fuchsloch, SWD Touch Rugby has been endorsed by Leon van Wyk, mayor of George. "Mr Van Wyk has even given us permission to use Outeniqua Park as our home ground and we are affiliated with SWD Rugby."

Fuchsloch emphasised just how much the sport is growing both in South Africa and internationally. "We would like to call on all our men, ladies, boys and girls to be part of history in representing the first ever SWD provincial touch rugby teams going to Durban in October. We would like to send both men's and mixed sides to the tournament."

The rules are more or less the same as in contact rugby, without the tackling of players. At any given moment, there are six players a side on the field. The bigger team consists of 14 players and they can change during a game. The duration of a game is 40 minutes - 20 minutes on a side.

Tyron said any person, no matter their skill level, is welcome to join the trails on Friday 4 August which will begin at 17:00 at the Outeniqua Park B fields.

A social league will also be held every Friday night at Outeniqua Park for players who would just like to join in on the games and not necessarily play in provincial tournaments. The bar at the George Rugby Club will be open at the social game times for players to also share the experience and enjoy a drink after their games.

"We look forward to seeing as many of George's residents as possible at the fields on Friday nights, taking part in a sport that anyone can both play and enjoy to the fullest!"

Interested players for both provincial and social teams can contact Fuchsloch at info@swdtouchrugby.com for more information.