Tag Rugby
Encyclopedia
Tag Rugby, also known as rippa rugby, flag rugby league or flag rugby, is a non-contact team game in which each player wears a belt that has two velcro
tags attached to it, or shorts with velcro patches. The mode of play is based on rugby league
with many similarities to touch rugby
. Attacking players attempt to dodge, evade and pass a rugby ball while defenders attempt to prevent them scoring by "tagging" - pulling a velcro attached tag from the ball carrier, rather than a full contact tackle. Tag rugby is used in development and training by the rugby league
community, but it is also used by the rugby union
community as a development game / training alternative.
Tag Rugby comes in several forms with OzTag and Mini Tag being some of the better known variations. Tag Rugby has the highest participation levels in Ireland and Australia.
. Former St George Dragons halfback Perry Haddock founded the sport while coaching the 1992 St George Jersey Flegg
side.
Games are usually played over 40 minutes a half. The normal dimensions of the field are 70 metres x 50 metres. Eight players in each team are allowed on the field at a time.
The attacking team has six plays or tags to try and score a try or take the ball down field as close to the line as possible. Like most versions of tag rugby, a tackle is made when one of two velcro
stripes, known as tags, is removed from the ball carrier's shorts.
Players can pass and kick the ball and tries
are worth one point and there are no conversions. Kicking in general play is allowed but it must: be below shoulder height of the referee and on zero count with no play-the-ball (from playing a knock-on advantage for instance) or after the 4th tag.
, but under-7s Mini Tag has some rugby union
features, like an unlimited tackle count. It does not have an equivalent of the six tags law and instead tackled players must off-load the ball. Under-8s Mini Tag on the other hand, retains a six tag law (RFU Continuum 3.5.g) which requires that on the 7th tag the referee will stop the game and give the ball to the other side. The restart is with a free pass.
Mini Tag is currently the only form of rugby
permitted by the English RFU for under-8 and under-7 age groups. Mini Tag requires the use of a size 3 rugby ball and does not allow scrums
, line-out
s or kicking.
. Today, more than 36,000 players take part in OzTag competitions nationally.
There are Oztag competitions running all over Australia
, with the largest areas located in Sydney
, Brisbane
and Canberra
. Competing teams are in six divisions: women's open, mixed, men's open and men's over-30s, 35s, and 40s.
In 2003-4, the RFU introduced Mini Tag into its junior development program called The Three Stages of the Rugby Continuum, replacing touch rugby
.
Tag Rugby also developed via IMBRL (Inter Message Board Rugby League) where message boards representing clubs took part in tournaments and friendly matches. Some developed into full- contact teams, others became tag teams and others folded. In 2008, a Tag Merit League was established based on the RL Merit League format. The league was developed with the intention to encourage new clubs outside the older IMBRL circuit to play tag rugby league. The Merit League operates on normal rugby league laws with tags taking the place of tackles.
In 2009 London based Try Tag Rugby began running floodlit adult Autumn and Winter Tag Rugby competitions at the Finsbury Park Athletics stadium in North London & Wandsworth Common in south-west London. In 2010 spring competitions took place at Willesden and Bermondsey, whilst summer competitions took place at Finsbury Park, Gladstone Park, King George's Park, Tooting Bec Common, Wormwood Scrubs and Southwark Park. Try Tag Rugby is the only organisation in London which runs social rugby under floodlights outside of summer as leagues ran in Rotherhithe, Bermondsey, Willesden and Finsbury Park in Autumn & Winter 2010. A charity Tag Rugby festival in conjunction with GOAL called the GOAL London Tag Rugby Championships took place on August 29, 2010. A repeat event is planned for 2011. Try Tag Rugby is hosting Oztag in July 2011 when the Australians visit London for two separate 3 match series against the London residents and Try Tag Rugby England. Try Tag Rugby play their London competitions under Oztag rules.http://www.trytagrugby.com
In 2009 and 2010 Teams from France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales entered alongside a Teams drawn from Rochdale Fijians and the local Asian Community, plus Kiwi and Aussie exiles. This was complemented by teams from all across England
The Festival was a non-contact, mixed gender 7-a-side competition, where at least 2 of the 7 are from the opposite sex.
With an unprecedented demand for places it is the biggest ever adult Tag Rugby League Festival held in the UK. http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/rochdaleswarmtagrugbyleagueclub/
The Pig 'n' Porter
Tag Rugby festival, the largest in the world, is held each July on the grounds of Old Crescent Rugby Club, Limerick, Ireland. Over 120 teams take part in the weekend event. The popularity of the event can also be attributed to the aprés tag festivities which include a hog roast and live music.
The Malta International Tag Rugby Festival was launched in 2011 with seven teams competing in the inaugural edition from England, Scotland, France and the Maltese islands of Malta and Gozo. The festival is expected to make its mark as the hottest tag rugby festival in Europe with its next event in the 2012 summer. London's Try Tag Rugby All-Stars won the 2011 edition, Montpellier finished second. The festival is opened with a pub crawl through the historic three cities and completed with a Boat Party at the famous Blue Lagoon.
(ITRA) introduced Adult Tag Rugby to Ireland in 2000 in association with the Irish Rugby Football Union
when the first ever league was run for 36 teams. Their league is known as Volvic Tag http://www.volvictag.ie. The Irish Rugby Football Union http://www.irfutag.ie began to run its own tag rugby leagues in 2007 following a split with ITRA.
Astro Sports Leagues http://www.astro.ie in 2004 began the only weeknight tag rugby leagues that run 4 seasons of the year - called Rip Rugby. Rip Rugby is mixed tag rugby played on the latest generation astro-turf pitches - avoiding the issue of games cancelled due to waterlogged pitches.
The sport has become particularly popular in Ireland
and in 2007, over 28,000 players in the two programmes making up more than 1,700 teams took part in Tag Rugby at 30 venues all over the country. This increased in 2008 and 2009.
There are four major types of Tag Rugby played there. They include men-only leagues, women-only leagues, mixed leagues (in which a minimum of three players must be female), and vets league (over-35s). Each type is usually played in four different ability categories ranging from A league (the most competitive) through B, C, and beginners league (the most inexperienced and usually the least competitive). Veterans leagues comprise of teams of players all over 35 yrs old.
Many companies pay for or sponsor company teams as a method of recreation hence this format of rugby's popularity and its non-contact nature makes it playable for mixed sex and age teams and inter-office competitions.
The Pig 'n' Porter Festival
is held each July in Old Crescent RFC, Limerick.
KIWITAG is the original administration of Tag Rugby in New Zealand.
Event Management Achievements
►7 Auckland Regional Tournaments (2000–07)
►4 Invitational Supertag Tournaments(2004–07)
►3 Pacifika Tournaments (2004–07)
►1 Trans Tasman series (2006)
►1 World Cup (2007)
►1st National Tournament Feb 2008 - Taupo
►2nd Nationals Tournament Feb 2022 - Auckland
►3rd Nationals Auckland Feb 2010
Velcro
Velcro is the brand name of the first commercially marketed fabric hook-and-loop fastener, invented in 1948 by the Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral...
tags attached to it, or shorts with velcro patches. The mode of play is based on rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
with many similarities to touch rugby
Touch rugby
Touch rugby, Refers to games derived from rugby football in which players do not tackle in the traditional, highly physical way, but instead touch their opponents using their hands on any part of the body, clothing, or the ball....
. Attacking players attempt to dodge, evade and pass a rugby ball while defenders attempt to prevent them scoring by "tagging" - pulling a velcro attached tag from the ball carrier, rather than a full contact tackle. Tag rugby is used in development and training by the rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
community, but it is also used by the rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
community as a development game / training alternative.
Tag Rugby comes in several forms with OzTag and Mini Tag being some of the better known variations. Tag Rugby has the highest participation levels in Ireland and Australia.
OzTag
OzTag is a non-contact form of rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
. Former St George Dragons halfback Perry Haddock founded the sport while coaching the 1992 St George Jersey Flegg
Jersey Flegg Cup
The Jersey Flegg Cup was a junior rugby league competition played in New South Wales, contested among teams made up of players aged under 20. The competition was administered by the New South Wales Rugby League and run concurrently with the National Rugby League...
side.
Games are usually played over 40 minutes a half. The normal dimensions of the field are 70 metres x 50 metres. Eight players in each team are allowed on the field at a time.
The attacking team has six plays or tags to try and score a try or take the ball down field as close to the line as possible. Like most versions of tag rugby, a tackle is made when one of two velcro
Velcro
Velcro is the brand name of the first commercially marketed fabric hook-and-loop fastener, invented in 1948 by the Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral...
stripes, known as tags, is removed from the ball carrier's shorts.
Players can pass and kick the ball and tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
are worth one point and there are no conversions. Kicking in general play is allowed but it must: be below shoulder height of the referee and on zero count with no play-the-ball (from playing a knock-on advantage for instance) or after the 4th tag.
Mini Tag
Like all forms of Tag Rugby Mini Tag is historically based on rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, but under-7s Mini Tag has some rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
features, like an unlimited tackle count. It does not have an equivalent of the six tags law and instead tackled players must off-load the ball. Under-8s Mini Tag on the other hand, retains a six tag law (RFU Continuum 3.5.g) which requires that on the 7th tag the referee will stop the game and give the ball to the other side. The restart is with a free pass.
Mini Tag is currently the only form of rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
permitted by the English RFU for under-8 and under-7 age groups. Mini Tag requires the use of a size 3 rugby ball and does not allow scrums
Scrum (rugby)
Scrum , in the sports of rugby union and rugby league, is a way of restarting the game, either after an accidental infringement or when the ball has gone out of play...
, line-out
Line-out
A line-out is the means by which, in rugby union, the ball is put back into play after it has gone into touch. It is the equivalent of the throw-in in soccer. Rugby league abolished line-outs in 1897...
s or kicking.
Australia
Since its beginnings in 1992, OzTag (or Walla Tag) has grown in popularity across Australia in urban and rural areas. Twenty-eight teams participated in the first season in summer 1992-1993 playing in the Cronulla and St George areas of SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Today, more than 36,000 players take part in OzTag competitions nationally.
There are Oztag competitions running all over Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, with the largest areas located in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. Competing teams are in six divisions: women's open, mixed, men's open and men's over-30s, 35s, and 40s.
England
Tag Rugby was pioneered by PE Teacher Nick Leonard in England in 1990 following an idea given to by an ex service man called Barry Johns. He described to Nick how navy servicemen on board ship or whilst playing on hard grounds overseas used the removal by defenders of bits of cord tucked down players shorts to simulate a tackle in rugby. Nick Leonard then devised a set of rules suitable for children using belts and coloured ribbons attached by Velcro and organised the first ever schools Tag Rugby festival at UCP Marjons, Plymouth in 1991. This annual event celebrated its 20th festival in 2011.In 2003-4, the RFU introduced Mini Tag into its junior development program called The Three Stages of the Rugby Continuum, replacing touch rugby
Touch rugby
Touch rugby, Refers to games derived from rugby football in which players do not tackle in the traditional, highly physical way, but instead touch their opponents using their hands on any part of the body, clothing, or the ball....
.
Tag Rugby also developed via IMBRL (Inter Message Board Rugby League) where message boards representing clubs took part in tournaments and friendly matches. Some developed into full- contact teams, others became tag teams and others folded. In 2008, a Tag Merit League was established based on the RL Merit League format. The league was developed with the intention to encourage new clubs outside the older IMBRL circuit to play tag rugby league. The Merit League operates on normal rugby league laws with tags taking the place of tackles.
In 2009 London based Try Tag Rugby began running floodlit adult Autumn and Winter Tag Rugby competitions at the Finsbury Park Athletics stadium in North London & Wandsworth Common in south-west London. In 2010 spring competitions took place at Willesden and Bermondsey, whilst summer competitions took place at Finsbury Park, Gladstone Park, King George's Park, Tooting Bec Common, Wormwood Scrubs and Southwark Park. Try Tag Rugby is the only organisation in London which runs social rugby under floodlights outside of summer as leagues ran in Rotherhithe, Bermondsey, Willesden and Finsbury Park in Autumn & Winter 2010. A charity Tag Rugby festival in conjunction with GOAL called the GOAL London Tag Rugby Championships took place on August 29, 2010. A repeat event is planned for 2011. Try Tag Rugby is hosting Oztag in July 2011 when the Australians visit London for two separate 3 match series against the London residents and Try Tag Rugby England. Try Tag Rugby play their London competitions under Oztag rules.http://www.trytagrugby.com
International Tag Rugby League Festival
After the huge success of the inaugural Rochdale Swarm International Mixed Tag Rugby League Festivals, the event returns for its third year on the 28th of May 2011 for what promises to be an even bigger event.In 2009 and 2010 Teams from France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales entered alongside a Teams drawn from Rochdale Fijians and the local Asian Community, plus Kiwi and Aussie exiles. This was complemented by teams from all across England
The Festival was a non-contact, mixed gender 7-a-side competition, where at least 2 of the 7 are from the opposite sex.
With an unprecedented demand for places it is the biggest ever adult Tag Rugby League Festival held in the UK. http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/rochdaleswarmtagrugbyleagueclub/
The Pig 'n' Porter
Pig 'n' Porter
Pig 'n' Porter is the largest tag rugby festival in the world.Held in Old Crescent, Limerick City, Ireland every year during the month of July, the Pig 'n' Porter draws over 100 teams a year. Each team consists of at least 7 players...
Tag Rugby festival, the largest in the world, is held each July on the grounds of Old Crescent Rugby Club, Limerick, Ireland. Over 120 teams take part in the weekend event. The popularity of the event can also be attributed to the aprés tag festivities which include a hog roast and live music.
The Malta International Tag Rugby Festival was launched in 2011 with seven teams competing in the inaugural edition from England, Scotland, France and the Maltese islands of Malta and Gozo. The festival is expected to make its mark as the hottest tag rugby festival in Europe with its next event in the 2012 summer. London's Try Tag Rugby All-Stars won the 2011 edition, Montpellier finished second. The festival is opened with a pub crawl through the historic three cities and completed with a Boat Party at the famous Blue Lagoon.
Ireland
The Irish Tag Rugby AssociationIrish Tag Rugby Association
The Irish Tag Rugby Association is the official founding body of adult Tag Rugby in Ireland. Since 2000 it has organized nationwide tag rugby summer leagues, with the addition in 2003 of blitz days on weekends and in 2005 of spring leagues....
(ITRA) introduced Adult Tag Rugby to Ireland in 2000 in association with the Irish Rugby Football Union
Irish Rugby Football Union
The Irish Rugby Football Union is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where Irish rugby union international matches are played...
when the first ever league was run for 36 teams. Their league is known as Volvic Tag http://www.volvictag.ie. The Irish Rugby Football Union http://www.irfutag.ie began to run its own tag rugby leagues in 2007 following a split with ITRA.
Astro Sports Leagues http://www.astro.ie in 2004 began the only weeknight tag rugby leagues that run 4 seasons of the year - called Rip Rugby. Rip Rugby is mixed tag rugby played on the latest generation astro-turf pitches - avoiding the issue of games cancelled due to waterlogged pitches.
The sport has become particularly popular in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and in 2007, over 28,000 players in the two programmes making up more than 1,700 teams took part in Tag Rugby at 30 venues all over the country. This increased in 2008 and 2009.
There are four major types of Tag Rugby played there. They include men-only leagues, women-only leagues, mixed leagues (in which a minimum of three players must be female), and vets league (over-35s). Each type is usually played in four different ability categories ranging from A league (the most competitive) through B, C, and beginners league (the most inexperienced and usually the least competitive). Veterans leagues comprise of teams of players all over 35 yrs old.
Many companies pay for or sponsor company teams as a method of recreation hence this format of rugby's popularity and its non-contact nature makes it playable for mixed sex and age teams and inter-office competitions.
The Pig 'n' Porter Festival
Pig 'n' Porter
Pig 'n' Porter is the largest tag rugby festival in the world.Held in Old Crescent, Limerick City, Ireland every year during the month of July, the Pig 'n' Porter draws over 100 teams a year. Each team consists of at least 7 players...
is held each July in Old Crescent RFC, Limerick.
New Zealand
In 2003 the New Zealand Rugby Union established "Rippa rugby" - a variant of tag rugby - as a developmental game for young children, and for primary school tournaments.KIWITAG is the original administration of Tag Rugby in New Zealand.
- 1993-98 The game is played in pockets throughout the country – however no governance structure, common goals or standard rules in place
- 2005–2007 Auckland Kiwitag Inc. established and recognised by the majority of the sports participants as the interim governing body of Tag Rugby throughout New Zealand.
- 2008-2009 - New committee and chairman elected. Thus ensuring that the original established administration continues to govern the sport of Tag Rugby.
Event Management Achievements
►7 Auckland Regional Tournaments (2000–07)
►4 Invitational Supertag Tournaments(2004–07)
►3 Pacifika Tournaments (2004–07)
►1 Trans Tasman series (2006)
►1 World Cup (2007)
►1st National Tournament Feb 2008 - Taupo
►2nd Nationals Tournament Feb 2022 - Auckland
►3rd Nationals Auckland Feb 2010
USA
OzTag is known as flag rugby league or flag rugby in the United States. The American version of the rules is known as Eagletag.See also
- Touch footballTouch football (rugby league)Touch is a field sport also known as Touch Football, or in some countries as Touch Rugby. Touch is overseen worldwide by the Federation of International Touch . Touch has traditionally been played in Australia and New Zealand but the sport has expanded internationally and features many regional and...
- also known as Touch Rugby - Flag footballFlag footballFlag football is a version of Canadian football or American football that is popular worldwide. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of the mainstream game , but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end...
- the equivalent spinoff from American football.
Australia
- Oztag Australia
- The Oztag website
- The unofficial Oztag website
- Oztagsa - South Australian Oztag Association
England
- Try Tag Rugby
- RFU pdf Mini Tag
- Tag Rugby UK
- Rochdale Swarm Tag Rugby League Club
- Rochdale International Mixed Tag Rugby League Festival
Ireland
- NRGtag - Irish Tag Rugby League
- Irish Tag Rugby Association
- Irish Rugby Football Union
- Astro Tag Rugby
- Angels Tag Rugby - A Dublin-based Tag Rugby Club
- Pig 'n' Porter - Largest Tag Rugby Event in the World - Hosted every summer in Old Crescent RFC, Limerick.
- Bruff RFC - Limerick based club hosting Tag Rugby Events