Tagged in rugby fun

Daryn Wood

MORE than 100 young future rugby stars will storm onto the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium’s field next month in a grassroots development initiative by the South African Rugby Union (Saru) and the Tag Rugby Association.
In the build-up to the Sevens World Series event, taking place at the stadium in December 10, 10 primary schools will take part in a tag-rugby coaching clinic followed by a round robin tournament.
The two finalists will play the final as a curtain raiser to the sevens event in front of a full cheering crowd.
The primary schools involved are Arcadia, West End, Delrose (Uitenhage), Emsengeni (New Brighton), Khulile (Motherwell), Stephen Mazungula (New Brighton), Hombakazi (KwaNobuhle), Grey Junior School, Sunridge Park and Westering.
They were selected by the Eastern Cape Department of Education, Eastern Province Rugby Union and Tag Rugby.
Each school was presented with Tag Rugby equipment last week, donated by SARU and Tag Rugby, and were also introduced to the game.
Deputy principal of Khulile Primary School in Motherwell Noluvuko Majova said she is happy the school was chosen and it will greatly benefit the pupils.
“We are grateful for the equipment and hopefully the pupils’ interest in rugby will grow from this,” Majova said.
She added it is a good thing girls are included in the game, as rugby is predominantly a boys’ sport.
Majova said the school will implement tag rugby into their sports programme.
Most of the children at Khulile were excited at the prospect of their new equipment and look forward to the couching clinic.

Putelo Nbengashe, 9, said she is very excited about tag rugby.
“It will be nice playing as I have never played before.
“Rugby is a man’s sport but I like to watch the game. Now I will be playing it.”
“Tag rugby, a rugby and skills development game, has been introduced to children in South Africa and the UK,” Stuart McConnell of the Tag Rugby Association said.
“The game breaks rugby down into its simplest form, running, passing, catching and running into space,” McConnell said.
A “tackle” or tag is made when a defender removes one of the two tags that are attached to a Velcro belt around the attacker’s waist. There are 10 players on a team – six boys and four girls.
Once tagged the attacker passes the ball to their teammate, retrieves their tag from the defender and rejoins the game. Once the attackers have been tagged three times the defenders get a turn to attack.
“The progression to tackling is safe and easy as Tag Rugby gets the children to focus on the opponents hips to remove a tag.
“The game also teaches the players to run forward as opposed to away from the defenders.
“The game gives defenders an incentive to defend and attackers an incentive to attack,” said McConnell.
He added the game is fast, fun and extremely safe as there is no tackling, kicking, lineouts or scrums.

“We are using tag rugby to promote rugby development in all areas of South Africa,” he said.
“The beauty of the game is that it can be played on any surface, which is beneficial to all involved as many of the schools they work in do not have facilities to play any sport.
“With tag rugby both boys and girls can play sport together. We are also reaching the stage where traditional rugby playing schools are now playing tag rugby against disadvantaged schools resulting in an excellent cross-cultural exchange.”
The clinic takes place on December 6 and will be attended by the international sevens teams.