Tag Rugby was developed by a South African, Robert Macdonald, in 1993. The game has now been adopted by World Rugby as the way young boys and girls are introduced to Rugby. Tag is fast and fun and teaches players the basics of rugby through participation, activities and games.
The game is played by players of all abilities and a “tackle” is simply made by removing the tag from the attacker who is carrying the ball. There are no scrums, line-outs and kicking is not allowed.
The game teaches players to run forward, into space, run with the ball in two hands and the important concept of support play. As the attacking team have three tags before losing the ball, Tag makes for an exciting experience for all those players new to the game.
Tag Rugby forms the basis of the Rugby development continuum where the emphasis is on the FUNdamental aspects of Rugby.
“We want players to have so much fun that they can’t wait for the next time the play. Our approach is to start every session with a fun activity, then progress to a rugby related skill and then to end each session with a game.” Stuart McConnell, Director of Tag Rugby SA, Chairman of the International Tag Federation,
Tag Rugby SA is extremely happy to be working with Zoe Naude and her team of coaches to promote the development of Women’s Rugby in South Africa. We are confident that all players starting their rugby journey could not be starting at a better point. Tag Rugby is a great way to provide players with the confidence to progress to contact Rugby in a safe and organised manner.