Touch (sport)

Touch is a fun and active sport that is a variation of rugby league. It is managed by the Federation of International Touch and is known for being safe and easy to learn. Instead of tackling, players simply touch their opponents to stop them, which makes the game gentle and friendly.

The basic rules of touch were created in the 1960s in Sydney, Australia by members of the South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club. This sport needs very little equipment, and people of all ages and both males and females can play together. It is often used as a fun way to get started with rugby before moving on to more complex versions of the game.

Touch can be played with two teams of six players, but some games allow different numbers of players. This makes it a great activity for schools, families, and community groups, as everyone can join in and enjoy the game.

History

Origins

See also: Rugby league

Touch started as a simple game where players could only touch their opponents instead of tackling them. Some people say it began in Australia in 1963, but it was already being played in schools in England as early as 1956. The rough surfaces made regular rugby league too unsafe, so teachers created softer rules.

The sport became official in 1968 when two people, Bob Dyke and Ray Vawdon, formed the South Sydney Touch Football Club in Australia. The first real Touch match happened later that year, and the first competition was held in Sydney in 1968 as well. The game grew quickly, with special rules that made it safer and more fun to play. It spread to places like Brisbane, New Zealand, and finally became an international sport with its own global rules in 1985.

Rules and equipment

Touch rugby has special rules and gear that make it fun and safe. The rules come from a book made by Touch Football Australia in 2020, and they were later used by the group that runs international touch rugby.

The game is played on a grassy field that is 70 by 50 metres, a bit bigger than half a rugby field. Players use a small, oval ball that is 36 cm long and 55 cm around. They wear light clothes like T-shirts and shorts, and all shirts have numbers. Women often wear special athletic shorts or bodysuits. Players wear soft shoes with small rubber cleats, but not hard ones.

A match needs at least one referee, but big games have three referees taking turns. Teams have seven players on the field: two on the sides, two in the middle, and two between the sides and middle. The player called the "half" has some special rules, like not being able to score points.

Players pass or tap the ball to each other but cannot kick it. A team gets to keep the ball for six passes before the other team gets it back. Points are scored when a player (not the half) puts the ball over the other team’s line. Matches usually last 40 minutes with a short break in the middle.

World Rugby

World Rugby, the group that sets the rules for rugby union, shared some ideas in November 2010 about how to play a relaxed version of Touch Rugby. These ideas were based on rules from the Federation of International Touch, but they were just suggestions, not strict rules that everyone had to follow.

World Rugby made it clear that these suggestions were meant to help people create fun, non-contact versions of rugby. Each local rugby group could choose to use these ideas or change them as needed. However, the Federation of International Touch does not support or recognize these leisure rugby rules.

International competitions

World Cup

Main article: Touch Football World Cup

The first Touch World Cup took place on the Gold Coast, Australia in 1988. Since then, it has been held in many places, including Auckland, New Zealand, Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, Sydney, Australia, Kamagaya, Japan, Stellenbosch, South Africa, Edinburgh, Scotland, Coffs Harbour, Australia, and Putrajaya, Malaysia. The most recent World Cup was in Nottingham, England, in 2024, and the next one will be in New Zealand in 2028.

Youth World Cup

The first Youth Touch World Cup happened in Auckland, New Zealand in 2001, with the second in Sunshine Coast, Australia in 2005. The event was revived in 2018 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The fourth Youth Touch World Cup was planned for Manchester, England in 2021 but moved to 2023 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trans-Tasman Tests

There are regular Test matches between Australia and New Zealand called Trans-Tasman Tests. These matches have different groups for different ages.

Pacific Games

Touch has been part of the Pacific Games since 2003. Teams from men, women, and mixed groups compete.

European Championships

The Federation of International Touch holds the European Touch Championships, called "The Euros", every two years. The first Euros were in Bristol, UK in 2010. The most recent Euros were in Nottingham in 2022, with teams from 17 countries.

Masters Games

Touch is a popular sport at many Masters Games events.

World All Schools

The World All Schools event brings together hundreds of school teams from around the world every two years. It was held in Singapore in 2006 and in Brisbane in 2008.

Touch worldwide

Australia

Main article: Touch Football Australia

Touch is enjoyed in every part of Australia, especially in areas where rugby league and rugby union are popular, such as Queensland, New South Wales, and the ACT. There are over 700,000 registered players, 500,000 school children, and up to 100,000 casual players. The main governing body was created in 1978 as the Australian Touch Football Association. In 1981, the word "football" was dropped, and after some changes in 2004, it became Touch Football Australia.

Australia’s main competition from 1997 to 2018 was the National Touch League (NTL). Teams from all over Australia compete in men’s, women’s, and mixed groups for open-age, under-20, and older (Masters) divisions. In 2013, the Elite 8 series was added, and later replaced in 2018 by the NRL Touch Premiership.

There is also a youth version called the National Youth Championships, which includes different age groups. The event sometimes includes school teams as well. In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was combined with another Queensland event to include younger age groups. The first state of origin series between Queensland and New South Wales happened in 1995 and happens every two years. School Sport Australia holds an annual National Championships for primary and middle school teams.

Touch Football Australia and the National Rugby League (NRL) joined forces in 2013 to help grow the sport. This led to the creation of the “NRL Touch Football” brand and more support for the sport. In 2018, the NRL Touch Premiership began, with games played before NRL matches.

Melbourne Touch6s

Melbourne Touch6s is a yearly tournament in Melbourne, Victoria, started in 2023 by the Sri Lankan Touch Footy Club Melbourne. It follows the rules of Touch Football Australia (TFA) and has six players per team in categories like Open, Over 40s, Women’s, and Juniors. It is held at Comely Bank Recreation Reserve.

Austria

The Touch Austria Association became part of the Federation International Touch (FIT) in October 2009 with three clubs. In 2009, the Austrian Touch League started, and Austria sent national teams to compete in the Mainland Cup. Austria also joins other European tournaments.

Chile

Touch has been played in Chile since 1998, started by foreign residents. Now, Chilean players and teams join in, leading to the creation of Touch Rugby Chile.

Touch is played in cities like Santiago, where there are leagues for mixed teams and older men. It is also practiced in schools and developing in areas outside Santiago like Rancagua and Paine. Chile takes part in international tournaments such as the Torneo Trasandino, USA Touch Nationals & International Club Open, and the Touch World Cup.

England

Main article: England Touch Association

The England Touch Association (ETA) started in 1995 and by the end of 2021 had over 100 clubs and more than 2,000 members. The ETA runs national events for single-gender and mixed teams in the summer, and the Touch Nationals competition for regional sides in open, juniors, seniors, and masters divisions. All ETA tournaments are live-streamed on YouTube. The ETA also has a high-performance program with several men’s, women’s, and mixed national squads.

France

Main article: Touch France

Touch France manages the sport in France. The French Men's Over 30s team won an international competition in 2012 and earned a bronze medal in Malaysia in the 9th Touch Football World Cup.

Germany

Touch has been played in Germany since 2003 with around 500 players. In 2005, the national governing body Touch Deutschland Sportverein (TDSV) was created, and it sends teams to European and World Championships. Clubs are located in cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Freiburg, and Heidelberg. The German Championships have been held every year since 2005, and the club from Munich has won the most titles.

Italy

Italia Touch (IT) is the official body for Touch in Italy, recognized by FIT. There are currently 23 teams affiliated with IT, and Italy regularly sends national teams to international events in Europe.

Japan

The Japan Touch Association (JTA) is the official body for Touch in Japan. In 2016, JTA recognized 32 clubs, and about 55 teams competed in the Tokyo Touch tournament. With an estimated 40% recognition rate, there are about 2,000 active players in around 110 clubs.

Malaysia

Touch Malaysia (TM) is the official body for the sport in Malaysia. One notable team is the Penang Panthers, founded in 2011 by Christopher Woodhams. The team was led by Matt Lee, a star player from Australia, and performed well in the Asian Club Championships held in Kuala Lumpur in 2013.

New Zealand

Touch New Zealand is the governing body for the sport in New Zealand. Touch is popular across 19 regions, including Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Over 100,000 registered players compete, with around 3,500 representing their regions in national events. New Zealand will send 11 teams to the 2024 World Cup in Nottingham, England. The current CEO of Touch New Zealand is Joe Sprangers.

Scotland

Main article: Scottish Touch Association

Touch has been played in Scotland since 1991, starting with informal leagues in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and later spreading to Aberdeen. In 2005, the Scottish Touch Association (STA) was formed to help develop the sport. By 2007, the STA included teams from Dundee, Perth, and Stirling, held its first national championships, trained over 150 referees, and secured the right to host the 2011 World Cup in Edinburgh.

Singapore

Touch Singapore (TSG) is the official body for Touch Football in Singapore, recognized by FIT. Established in 2017, TSG runs two league competitions each year with over 95 teams in 12 categories. Singapore has won bronze at two Touch World Cups (2011 & 2015) in the Women’s Open category. There are over 5,000 players, with 2,000 registered in league competitions. TSG also hosts the Singapore International Touch Knockout tournament, featuring clubs from across Asia.

South Africa

Touch in South Africa, often called ‘Six Down,’ is managed by the South African Touch Association. South Africa has participated in every Touch World Cup since 1995, and there are over 6,000 registered players in the country.

Switzerland

Touch Switzerland (TS) is the official body for Touch in Switzerland. Switzerland has competed in European Championships since 2006 and in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups. Switzerland also joins other European tournaments. The biggest achievement was winning the Mainland Cup in Heidelberg in 2009, taking third place in the Women’s Open and first in the Men’s Open. As of 2020, there are TS-affiliated clubs in cities such as Baden, Geneva, Lausanne, and Zurich.

United States

There are touch communities in many places such as Fort Lauderdale, Florida; West Palm Beach, Florida; Portland, Oregon; Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; New York City; Chicago; Houston; Dallas; San Diego; Boston; and Sandy, Utah. The current President of the United States Federation of Touch is OJ Hawea.

Thailand

Touch is regularly played in many parts of Thailand, mainly by expats, including many teachers. It is especially popular in Phuket and Bangkok, and Thai locals are also becoming more interested in rugby.