Touch (sport)

Touch is a fun and active sport that is a variation of rugby league. It is managed by the Federation of International Touch and is known for being safe and easy to learn. Instead of tackling, players simply touch their opponents to stop them, which makes the game gentle and friendly.

The basic rules of touch were created in the 1960s in Sydney, Australia by members of the South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club. This sport needs very little equipment, and people of all ages and both males and females can play together. It is often used as a fun way to get started with rugby before moving on to more complex versions of the game.

Touch can be played with two teams of six players, but some games allow different numbers of players. This makes it a great activity for schools, families, and community groups, as everyone can join in and enjoy the game.

History

Origins

See also: Rugby league

Touch began as a simple game where players could only touch their opponents instead of tackling them. Some say it started in Australia in 1963, but it was already played in schools in England in 1956. The rough surfaces made regular rugby league too unsafe, so teachers made softer rules.

The sport became official in 1968 when Bob Dyke and Ray Vawdon started the South Sydney Touch Football Club in Australia. The first real Touch match happened that year, and the first competition was in Sydney later in 1968. The game grew fast, with special rules to make it safer and more fun. It spread to places like Brisbane, New Zealand, and became an international sport with its own rules in 1985.

Rules and equipment

Touch rugby has special rules and gear to keep the game fun and safe. The rules come from a book made by Touch Football Australia in 2020.

The game is played on a grassy field that is 70 by 50 metres. Players use a small, oval ball. They wear light clothes like T-shirts and shorts, and all shirts have numbers. Women often wear special athletic shorts or bodysuits. Players wear soft shoes with small rubber cleats.

A match needs at least one referee. Teams have seven players on the field. The player called the "half" has some special rules.

Players pass or tap the ball to each other but cannot kick it. A team gets to keep the ball for six passes before the other team gets it back. Points are scored when a player puts the ball over the other team’s line. Matches usually last 40 minutes with a short break in the middle.

World Rugby

World Rugby, the group that sets the rules for rugby union, shared some ideas in November 2010 about how to play a relaxed version of Touch Rugby. These ideas were based on rules from the Federation of International Touch, but they were just suggestions, not strict rules that everyone had to follow.

World Rugby made it clear that these suggestions were meant to help people create fun, non-contact versions of rugby. Each local rugby group could choose to use these ideas or change them as needed. However, the Federation of International Touch does not support or recognize these leisure rugby rules.

International competitions

World Cup

Main article: Touch Football World Cup

The first Touch World Cup was in the Gold Coast, Australia in 1988. It has been held in many places, like Auckland, New Zealand, Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, Sydney, Australia, Kamagaya, Japan, Stellenbosch, South Africa, Edinburgh, Scotland, Coffs Harbour, Australia, and Putrajaya, Malaysia. The most recent World Cup was in Nottingham, England, in 2024. The next one will be in New Zealand in 2028.

Youth World Cup

The first Youth Touch World Cup was in Auckland, New Zealand in 2001. The second was in Sunshine Coast, Australia in 2005. It returned in 2018 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The fourth Youth Touch World Cup was planned for Manchester, England in 2021 but moved to 2023 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trans-Tasman Tests

There are regular Test matches between Australia and New Zealand called Trans-Tasman Tests. These matches have groups for different ages.

Pacific Games

Touch has been part of the Pacific Games since 2003. Teams of men, women, and mixed groups compete.

European Championships

The Federation of International Touch holds the European Touch Championships, called "The Euros", every two years. The first Euros were in Bristol, UK in 2010. The most recent Euros were in Nottingham in 2022, with teams from 17 countries.

Masters Games

Touch is a popular sport at many Masters Games events.

World All Schools

The World All Schools event brings together hundreds of school teams from around the world every two years. It was held in Singapore in 2006 and in Brisbane in 2008.

Touch worldwide

Australia

Main article: Touch Football Australia

Touch is a popular sport in Australia, especially where rugby league and rugby union are liked, such as in Queensland, New South Wales, and the ACT. Many people play, with over 700,000 registered players and many more school children and casual players. The main group for the sport was created in 1978 and is now called Touch Football Australia.

Australia’s main competition from 1997 to 2018 was the National Touch League (NTL). Teams from all over Australia compete in different groups for players of all ages. In 2018, this was replaced by the NRL Touch Premiership.

There is also a youth competition with different age groups. In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this event was combined with another in Queensland. The first state of origin series between Queensland and New South Wales began in 1995 and happens every two years. School Sport Australia holds an annual National Championships for school teams.

Touch Football Australia and the National Rugby League (NRL) joined together in 2013 to help grow the sport. This led to the “NRL Touch Football” brand and more support. In 2018, the NRL Touch Premiership began, with games played before NRL matches.

Melbourne Touch6s

Melbourne Touch6s is a yearly tournament in Melbourne, Victoria, started in 2023. It follows the rules of Touch Football Australia (TFA) and has six players per team in categories like Open, Over 40s, Women’s, and Juniors. It is held at Comely Bank Recreation Reserve.

Austria

The Touch Austria Association joined the Federation International Touch (FIT) in October 2009. In 2009, the Austrian Touch League started, and Austria sent teams to compete in the Mainland Cup. Austria also joins other European tournaments.

Chile

Touch has been played in Chile since 1998, started by people living there from other countries. Now, Chilean players and teams join in, leading to the creation of Touch Rugby Chile.

Touch is played in cities like Santiago, where there are leagues for mixed teams and older men. It is also played in schools and in areas outside Santiago like Rancagua and Paine. Chile takes part in international tournaments.

England

Main article: England Touch Association

The England Touch Association (ETA) started in 1995 and by the end of 2021 had over 100 clubs and more than 2,000 members. The ETA runs national events for single-gender and mixed teams in the summer, and the Touch Nationals competition for regional sides in open, juniors, seniors, and masters divisions. All ETA tournaments are live-streamed on YouTube. The ETA also has a high-performance program with several men’s, women’s, and mixed national squads.

France

Main article: Touch France

Touch France manages the sport in France. The French Men's Over 30s team won an international competition in 2012 and earned a bronze medal in Malaysia in the 9th Touch Football World Cup.

Germany

Touch has been played in Germany since 2003 with around 500 players. In 2005, the national governing body Touch Deutschland Sportverein (TDSV) was created, and it sends teams to European and World Championships. Clubs are located in cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Freiburg, and Heidelberg. The German Championships have been held every year since 2005.

Italy

Italia Touch (IT) is the official body for Touch in Italy, recognized by FIT. There are currently 23 teams affiliated with IT, and Italy regularly sends national teams to international events in Europe.

Japan

The Japan Touch Association (JTA) is the official body for Touch in Japan. In 2016, JTA recognized 32 clubs, and about 55 teams competed in the Tokyo Touch tournament. There are about 2,000 active players in around 110 clubs.

Malaysia

Touch Malaysia (TM) is the official body for the sport in Malaysia. One notable team is the Penang Panthers, founded in 2011 by Christopher Woodhams. The team was led by Matt Lee, a star player from Australia.

New Zealand

Touch New Zealand is the governing body for the sport in New Zealand. Touch is popular across 19 regions, including Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Over 100,000 registered players compete, with around 3,500 representing their regions in national events. New Zealand will send 11 teams to the 2024 World Cup in Nottingham, England.

Scotland

Main article: Scottish Touch Association

Touch has been played in Scotland since 1991, starting with informal leagues in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and later spreading to Aberdeen. In 2005, the Scottish Touch Association (STA) was formed to help develop the sport. By 2007, the STA included teams from Dundee, Perth, and Stirling, held its first national championships, trained over 150 referees, and secured the right to host the 2011 World Cup in Edinburgh.

Singapore

Touch Singapore (TSG) is the official body for Touch Football in Singapore, recognized by FIT. Established in 2017, TSG runs two league competitions each year with over 95 teams in 12 categories. Singapore has won bronze at two Touch World Cups (2011 & 2015) in the Women’s Open category. There are over 5,000 players, with 2,000 registered in league competitions. TSG also hosts the Singapore International Touch Knockout tournament, featuring clubs from across Asia.

South Africa

Touch in South Africa, often called ‘Six Down,’ is managed by the South African Touch Association. South Africa has participated in every Touch World Cup since 1995, and there are over 6,000 registered players in the country.

Switzerland

Touch Switzerland (TS) is the official body for Touch in Switzerland. Switzerland has competed in European Championships since 2006 and in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups. Switzerland also joins other European tournaments. The biggest achievement was winning the Mainland Cup in Heidelberg in 2009. As of 2020, there are TS-affiliated clubs in cities such as Baden, Geneva, Lausanne, and Zurich.

United States

There are touch communities in many places such as Fort Lauderdale, Florida; West Palm Beach, Florida; Portland, Oregon; Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; New York City; Chicago; Houston; Dallas; San Diego; Boston; and Sandy, Utah. The current President of the United States Federation of Touch is OJ Hawea.

Thailand

Touch is regularly played in many parts of Thailand, mainly by people living there from other countries, including many teachers. It is especially popular in Phuket and Bangkok, and Thai locals are also becoming more interested in rugby.