24th March 2009
By Paul Farringdon
A number of players from the Redingensians RFC, Reading RFC and Windsor RFC will be attending the first round of trials for the England Touch Rugby squads, to be held at Reading Blue Coats School, Sonning on Thames, on the 21st March. If selected they will represent England for the forthcoming Home Nations event in Edinburgh this summer and form the squad which will take part in the European Championships next summer, and the Touch World Cup in 2011.
All the players play in the Touch Rugby leagues hosted by Maidenhead RFC and Redingensians RFC through the summer months. They have all benefited from the extra handling skills and fitness that the game develops, and with the new ELVs making the game faster, have returned to the 15-a-side game as better players. Far from being a game for those retired from contact rugby, Touch is high intensity, with short sharp bursts of speed, over 40 minute game, making it a great pre-season workout. Although Touch originated as a warm-up for Rugby, the game has now evolved and has its own formalised International Rules and World Cup event, with an estimated 800,000 players worldwide. The game is hugely popular in New Zealand, and many All Blacks have played Touch, possibly the reason for their sharp handling, pace and skills in the 15-a-side game. Probably the most famous Touch player in England is Josh Lewsey. The Wasps back keeps his fitness and skills up by playing Touch every summer in London. Berkshire is becoming a hot bed for Touch with 800 adult players registered in the county. Touch is open to everyone, as a mixed sport, men and women can play on the same teams, and friends who may not normally play with an oval ball can join in too. With minimal contact, it is a great way to let the body recover from knocks, whilst maintaining fitness. In addition, being a small sport, with a little dedication and coaching players can represent England, across a range of ages, which would be something to tell your mates in the clubhouse! If you would like to find out more information about how playing Touch this summer could improve your game, please email: paul@in2touch.com
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