It must be slightly unnerving to find yourself on a rugby pitch with a six foot man running at full pelt towards you, especially if you’re a 5'3" rugby novice. However, the beauty of Touch Rugby is that it's minimal contact. In other words, you won't get tackled!

There are also no scrums, line outs, kicking or other complicated rugby moves. Also, unusually for a sport, men and women of all ages and abilities can play together in mixed teams. At Didcot RUFC we have setup a Ladies Team to focus specifically on developing the game for women.

You won’t need to know rugby or be super fit. Being able to run is a good start, and being able to catch and pass a ball helps, but it's not mandatory. So it doesn’t matter if you’ve never thrown or caught a rugby ball before as you’ll be taught all you need to know.

The game came from Rugby League originally, where the attacking team are allowed to keep the ball for up to six tackles. In Touch rugby we don’t make tackles we just have to touch the ball carrier. On the sixth touch the ball changes hands and the defenders become the attackers, and we start again.

Once you’ve got the ball in your hands you’ll learn how to pass the ball backwards to team mates, while running towards the try line. Meanwhile the other team will attempt to touch the player who is in possession of the ball. That touch can be as light as a finger tip on the body, clothing or the ball.

The aim is to score a try before the attacking team has been touched by the opposition six times.

A new player’s first experience of playing Touch Rugby….

“I spent about 10 minutes running forwards and backwards (mostly backwards). I managed to catch, throw and drop the ball a few times, after it’d been thrown charitably in my direction. However, I forgot to keep an eye on my opponent, who had been sitting quietly on the wing, before she gracefully caught the ball and dashed past me to score a try.

It was a little daunting at the start because all everyone else seemed to know what they are doing. But once I got the hang of it, it was really good fun. I picked up the basics from the coaches and the players around me who were very encouraging. I didn’t realise I would have enjoyed it as much as I did. It’s really helped my fitness and I’ve made some new friends in the process."

If you are interested in playing Touch Rugby or just coming along to watch one week you'll find out more about it on our website (www.didcotrufc.com) or on Social Media (Facebook & Twitter)

Facebook: "Didcot Rugby-Club" or "Didcot Touch Rugby"
Twitter: @DidcotRUFC