Getting In2Touch

Touch rugby seems a bit of an overstatement, as we all know that rugby involves plenty of touching with all its scrumming and emphasis on tackling and aggressively moving the line forward.

Turns out this isn’t the case here, as In2Touch has made it their mission to spread the word about touch rugby – which is a completely different sport to the traditional contact-based form of the game.

Andrew Thompson, general manager at In2Touch, is adamant that touch rugby has grown, and is still growing, in Gauteng. The company began in 1995 when it was realised that touch rugby was in demand in South Africa.

Thompson explained that Zoo Lake Sports Club was the first venue to host touch rugby all those years ago, and has now grown into Gauteng’s largest touch rugby venue. Emphasis is placed on both junior and senior level touch rugby. “These are all social teams,” said Thompson.

In2Touch doesn’t necessarily grow talent with the aim of landing players in the Touchboks (the touch rugby equivalent of the beloved Springboks), as their focus is on creating a fun, social vibe and growing interest in the game.

Touch emphasises agility and ball handling skills and gives up the tackling, scrumming and kicking of the ball for a safer and faster game focused more on scoring tries than gaining ground. Stoppage is minimal in a game of touch rugby, which makes the sport exciting to watch.

In2Touch has many divisions to cater for as many potential players as they possibly can. They have male, female and mixed gender teams, and a large part of what they do is help girls who want to play rugby, but don’t want to engage in the contact-based aspects of the game.

Details: www.touchrugby.co.za