Touch Rugby

Touch Rugby

Thought you’d hung up the rugby boots for life? Think again! Touch rugby (commonly known as touch) is a minimum contact, exponentially growing sport across the world, known for its simplicity and fast-paced nature. One of the few mixed sports, competitions are split into three categories: Womens, Mens and Mixed.

Fan of a cheeky side-step? Show us what you’ve got. Got a competitive edge? Bring it! Just trying to learn a new sport/meet new people? Pop down to training and get involved – we’re a sport for all levels of experience and fitness.

Simple breakdown of the rules

Game duration: 20 minutes a half (but generally 8-10 minutes on competition days!)

6 players on each team (in a mixed team, 3 women and 3 men) with limitless substitutions.

If you get touched while in possession of the ball, put it on the ground for your teammate to pick up and restart play.

If you touch your opponent who is in possession of the ball, you need to run backwards 7m to get on side and ready to make another touch.

You can only pass the ball to your teammates backwards.

You have 6 chances to be touched by your opposition before you need to score a try.

Think you can do it in less than 6? We’ll see you at training!

Our GIAGs (give it a go sessions) this year are:

Thursday 26th September 4:30-5:30pm at Talybont 3G pitch

Sunday 29th September 13:00-2:30pm at Talybont 3G pitch

These sessions are designed to give people a chance to get a feel for the sport, with strong possibility for a get-to-know-you social afterwards! Alternatively, if you’ve missed these but still want to get involved, just give us a message!

FAQS

Is this tag rugby?

No! Though often mistaken for each other, touch and tag are two different sports with some key rules differentiating them. We don’t use tags! Further to this, the attacking team is allowed to make a touch on their opponent. There are seven players on a tag team while touch has 6 players on each team.

What do I need to bring?

Water, boots (trainers are an option to begin with but you’ll understand when the grass is wet), sports clothes, and a willingness to get stuck in.

Do I have to have played touch or rugby before?

Prior experience absolutely not necessary! It may make it a little easier to understant some of the rules if you’ve played sports before but anyone can pick up this sport! We have two teams suited to both experienced and less experienced players, giving everyone a chance to play on a competitive level at UTC (the national university touch championship).

Where can I find out more?

Check out our stand at Fresher’s Fairs, come to our GIAG sessions or message our social media pages!

If you want to see what a game of touch looks like, click below check out England Touch on YouTube to learn more about touch as a sport!

Training

Pre-season training sessions begin in September.

Training sessions are held weekly on Thursdays from 18.30-19.30 pm and Sundays from 13.00-14.30 pm at Taly 3G pitch for both beginners and more experienced players.

We hold Give It A Go sessions each semester giving new students the opportunity to try out touch but you are welcome to join our weekly training sessions throughout the year.

For up-to-date info on dates and times, follow our club instagram page @cardiffuni.touch

University Touch Championship (UTC)

Touch Rugby has been part of the BUCS programme for 2 years, reflecting the growth of touch rugby as a sport in UK Universities. A series of touch competitions throughout the year, teams compete in regional north and south qualifiers for a chance to compete at nationals in Nottingham and improve their national ranking (collecting trophies along the way!).

Dragon Team at UTC

Sheep Team at UTC

The dragon team placed in the top 10 overall at the National Championships, with the sheep team improving massively with each tournament. With nominations and winners of MVP throughout the UTC season and a record 15 CUTRC players and alumni sent to the world cup, 2023-24 was a very successful year for Cardiff Uni Touch.

CUTRC Players and Almuni at the Touch Rugby World Cup 2024

Non-UTC Competitions

Cardiff Summer Touch League

Aside from UTC competitions, CUTRC have lots of connections with local Cardiff clubs, have regular friendly fixtures and compete in local seasonal leagues. Most games are mixed teams, however some friendly games offer the opportunity to showcase mens/womens only talent.