Tag rugby

Tag rugby, also called flag rugby or rippa rugby, is a fun and safe team game. Players wear a special belt or shorts with velcro tags. Instead of tackling like in full rugby, players can only "tag" their opponents by pulling off a velcro tag. This makes the game non-contact and great for younger players or those new to rugby.

The game is based on rugby league and is quite similar to touch football. It feels more like real rugby because players can pass and run with the ball, just like in the full sport. Tag rugby is used by both rugby league and rugby union communities to help players learn skills and practice in a safer way.

There are many different versions of tag rugby, such as OzTag, Try Tag Rugby in the UK, and Mini Tag. The game is especially popular in countries like Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Many people enjoy playing it.

History

Tag rugby was first created in Gibraltar by the Gibraltar Rugby Football Union. They made a new version of rugby using a 10-inch cord tucked into players’ waistbands. Pulling this cord with a shout of “tag” counted as stopping someone.

Later, a teacher in England named Nick Leonard made official rules for tag rugby in 1990. He used belts with velcro tags instead of cords and started the first schools Tag Rugby festival in 1991.

Tag rugby variants

OzTag

See also: Rugby league

OzTag is a fun, non-contact version of rugby league. It started in Australia by Perry Haddock, who played for the Cronulla Sharks and St George Dragons, along with Chris Parkes. Today, more than 200,000 people play it in organized leagues across Australia.

Games usually last 20 minutes per half and are played on a field that is 70×50 metres. Each team can have eight players on the field at the same time. The attacking team gets five chances, or tags, to try to score or move the ball closer to the goal line. A tackle happens when a defender pulls a special velcro strip, called a tag, from the player's shorts. Players can pass and kick the ball. Scoring a try gives one point, and there are no extra points after. For mixed gender games, there can be up to four male players per team on the field, and a try scored by a female player is worth two points instead of one.

Mini Tag

See also: Mini rugby

Mini Tag is a version of rugby for younger players. For under-7s, players can be tackled many times and must pass the ball when tackled. For under-8s, players get six tags before the referee stops the game and gives the ball to the other team, who then start with a free pass. Mini Tag is the only kind of rugby allowed for under-7 and under-8 groups in England. It uses a size 3 rugby ball and does not include scrums, line-outs, or kicking.

Tag rugby worldwide

Australia

Since 1992, a game called OzTag or Walla Tag has become popular in Australia, both in cities and the countryside. It started with 28 teams in Sydney in 1992–1993, and today, many people play OzTag across the country.

There are OzTag competitions everywhere in Australia, especially in Sydney, Brisbane, and Canberra. Teams compete in different groups, including women’s, mixed, men’s, and teams for older players.

England and Great Britain

In 2003–04, England’s Rugby Football Union added Mini Tag to its junior program.

Tag rugby grew through online message boards, with clubs playing in tournaments and friendly matches. In 2008, a Tag Merit League was created to welcome new clubs. The league uses normal rugby rules, but players take tags off instead of tackling.

In 2009, Try Tag Rugby started adult competitions in London using OzTag rules. By 2011, many players joined evening leagues across London. Try Tag Rugby also holds the London Tag Rugby Championships, attracting teams from the UK and Europe. In 2014, they partnered with the Rugby Football League to grow the sport in England. Try Tag Rugby expanded to Yorkshire in 2015 and continued to grow.

Try Tag Rugby represents the UK in the European Tag Federation and the International Tag Football Federation. The Great Britain Tag Rugby Team has hosted teams from Australia and Tonga. They competed in the 2012 Tag Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and the first Britain and Irish Cup in 2013.

Ireland

The Irish Tag Rugby Association (ITRA) brought adult tag rugby to Ireland in 2000, working with the Irish Rugby Football Union. The first league had many teams. By 2007, many players in teams played at venues across Ireland.

There are four types of tag rugby in Ireland: men-only, women-only, mixed, and vets (for players over 35). Each type has four levels of competition.

Many companies sponsor teams for fun. The Pig 'n' Porter Festival in Limerick each July is a big tag rugby tournament, with many teams competing.

Hong Kong

HKTag started in 2015 with Hong Kong Rugby League, using OzTag rules. It grew quickly, becoming the official tag rugby body in Hong Kong. They now have weekly sessions, workshops, and competitions. In 2018, Hong Kong sent a team to the Tag World Cup.

New Zealand

Tag rugby came to New Zealand in 1993–94 from Australia. It grew in Auckland and Wellington but faced some problems. By 2000, the groups united under Auckland Kiwitag. In 2003, the New Zealand Rugby Union added “Rippa rugby” for young children and school tournaments.

Tonga

The Tonga National Tag Team, also called Laione Hau, started in October 2011. The first team played in the Pacific Cup in New Zealand in February 2012. All kinds of Tag Rugby and Flag Football are played in Tonga.

Samoa

Samoan Tag Incorporated, the national tag sports body, was established in 2018. The first official tournament was held in Apia on February 3, 2018.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Oztag, based in Australia and started in 2015, played in its first tournament that year and the 2015 World Cup.

United States

In the United States, a game called EagleTag or non-contact rugby league is played using the same rules as OzTag. Another game, American flag rugby, based on rugby union rules, is played every Saturday morning in July in Morris County, New Jersey.

International tag rugby league festivals

The Rochdale Swarm International Mixed Tag Rugby League Festival happens every year on August 1, returning for its 7th year in 2015. Teams from France, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales join teams from Rochdale, including Fijians, local Asian community members, and people from New Zealand and Australia.

The Pig 'n' Porter Tag Rugby festival, the largest in the world, is held each July in Limerick, Ireland. Many teams compete, and the event includes a hog roast and live music.

The Malta International Tag Rugby Festival started in 2011, with teams from England, Scotland, France, and Malta.

In December 2015, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia hosted the Tag Rugby World Cup. In November 2018, the Tag Rugby World Cup will be held in Coffs Harbour, Australia.