Tag rugby facts for kids

A special belt used in Tag Rugby, with two tags attached.

Kids playing a game of Tag Rugby.

Tag rugby is an exciting team sport that's a lot like regular rugby, but without the full-contact tackles! It's also known as Flag rugby or Rippa rugby. Instead of tackling, players wear a belt with two velcro tags. When an opponent pulls off one of your tags, it counts as a "tackle."

The game is all about running, dodging, passing a rugby ball, and working with your teammates to score. Defenders try to stop you by grabbing your tags. It's a fantastic way to learn rugby skills and stay active, and it's played by both rugby league and rugby union fans.

There are different versions of Tag rugby, like OzTag, Try Tag Rugby (UK), and Mini Tag. This fun sport is very popular in countries like Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

The Story of Tag Rugby

How it Started

Tag rugby began in Gibraltar! Back in 1983, a sportswriter named Terry Godwin wrote about how the Gibraltar Rugby Football Union created a new way to play rugby. They didn't have many grassy fields, so they needed a game that didn't involve hard tackles.

Players would tuck a 10-inch (25 cm) cord into their shorts. If an opponent pulled it out and shouted "tag," it counted as a tackle. If a team couldn't score after four "tackles," the other team got the ball.

Modern Tag Rugby is Born

The version of tag rugby we know today was created in England in 1990 by a physical education teacher named Nick Leonard. He got the idea from a former serviceman, Barry Johns, who described how navy players adapted rugby on ships or hard ground.

Nick Leonard then made up rules especially for children. He used belts with colorful velcro ribbons. In 1991, he organized the very first schools Tag Rugby festival in Plymouth. This festival became a yearly event and celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2011.

Different Ways to Play Tag Rugby

OzTag: Australia's Version

OzTag is a popular type of tag rugby that started in Australia. It's a non-contact version of rugby league. Perry Haddock, a famous rugby player, helped bring the sport to Australia in 1992. Today, over 200,000 people play OzTag in organized leagues across the country!

In OzTag, games usually have two halves, each 20 minutes long. The field is about 70 by 50 meters. Each team can have eight players on the field at one time.

The attacking team gets five "plays" or "tags" to try and score a try. A "tackle" happens when a defender pulls one of the two velcro tags from the ball carrier's shorts. Players can pass and kick the ball, but kicks must stay below the referee's shoulder height.

A try is worth one point. In mixed-gender games, a try scored by a female player is worth two points, which adds an exciting twist!

Mini Tag: For Younger Players

Mini Tag is a special version of rugby designed for younger children, especially those under 7 and 8 years old. It's the only type of rugby allowed for these age groups by the English Rugby Football Union (RFU).

In Mini Tag, players use a smaller, size 3 rugby ball. The game focuses on running and passing, and it doesn't include scrums, line-outs, or kicking. For under-7s, there's no limit to how many times a player can be "tackled" (tagged). For under-8s, if a team gets tagged seven times, the referee stops the game and gives the ball to the other team.

Tag Rugby Around the World

Australia

OzTag, also known as Walla Tag, has become very popular across Australia since it began in 1992. The first season in 1992–1993 had 28 teams playing in Sydney. Now, 150,000 players compete in OzTag leagues all over the country.

You can find OzTag competitions in many places, especially in Sydney, Brisbane, and Canberra. Teams play in different groups, including women's, mixed, men's, and special leagues for men over 30, 35, and 40.

England and Great Britain

In 2003–04, the English Rugby Football Union added Mini Tag to its program for young players. This helped more kids get involved in rugby.

Adult tag rugby competitions also started in London in 2009 through Try Tag Rugby. By 2011, over 1,000 players were regularly joining evening leagues. The sport kept growing, with over 240 teams competing in London and Reading by 2014.

Try Tag Rugby also hosts the annual London Tag Rugby Championships. This event brings together teams from across the UK and Europe. In 2013, 42 teams played 136 matches, setting a UK record for an adult Tag Rugby tournament. In 2014, the Rugby Football League partnered with Try Tag Rugby to help the sport grow even more.

The Great Britain Tag Rugby Team has played against teams from Australia and Tonga. They also competed in the 2012 Tag Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. The annual Britain and Irish Cup started in 2013. Ireland won this cup multiple times, but in 2019, Great Britain finally won it for the first time!

At the 2018 ITF Tag World Cup in Australia, Great Britain won three medals. They earned a silver in the Men's Seniors, a bronze in the Women's Seniors, and a Men's Open victory in the Plate competition.

Ireland

The Irish Tag Rugby Association (ITRA) brought adult tag rugby to Ireland in 2000. The first league had 36 teams. The sport quickly became very popular. By 2007, over 28,000 players on more than 1,700 teams were playing tag rugby across Ireland.

There are different types of leagues in Ireland: men-only, women-only, mixed (with at least one female player and no more than four male players on the field), and "vets" leagues for players over 35. Teams are also grouped by skill level, from competitive "A" leagues to beginner leagues.

Many companies support tag rugby teams for their employees. This makes it a great way for people of all ages and genders to have fun and stay active together.

The Pig 'n' Porter Festival is held every July in Limerick, Ireland. It's the largest Tag Rugby tournament in the world, with up to 150 teams! Teams from many countries come to play and enjoy the festivities.

Hong Kong

HKTag started in 2015 with the Hong Kong Rugby League (HKRL). It uses OzTag rules and first appeared at the 2015 HKRL Nines tournament. Over 100 male and female players joined in.

HKTag grew quickly and became the official group for Tag Rugby in Hong Kong. They started new competitions and regular social tag rugby sessions. Today, HKTag has a strong community with weekly games, workshops, and beach tag events. In 2018, the HKTag Challenge had its biggest turnout ever, with 12 teams and over 140 players from around the world.

In November 2018, Hong Kong sent teams to the Tag World Cup in Australia, competing in mixed open and male open divisions.

New Zealand

Tag rugby came to New Zealand in 1993-94, introduced by John Ackland. He worked with OzTag founder Perry Haddock to expand the game. The first Kiwitag module started in Auckland.

Over the years, the sport faced some challenges in New Zealand. However, in 2000, different tag groups came together to form Auckland Kiwitag Inc. This helped organize the game better. In 2009, Auckland Kiwitag rebranded as New Zealand Tag Football Incorporated, which is now the national body for tag football in New Zealand.

In 2003, the New Zealand Rugby Union created "Rippa rugby." This is a version of tag football used to help young children learn rugby skills and for primary school tournaments.

Tonga

The Tonga National Tag Team, also known as Laione Hau or Tonga Tag, was formed in October 2011. This team played in its first official tournament, the Pacific Cup, in New Zealand in February 2012. All kinds of Tag Rugby and Flag Football are played in Tonga.

Samoa

Samoan Tag Incorporated is the national sports group for Tag in Samoa. It was started in 2018, and the first official Tag tournament was held in Apia on February 3, 2018.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Oztag, based in Australia, was established in 2015. They played in their first official tournament, the Emerging Nations Tournament, in 2015, and then competed in the 2015 World Cup. In 2016, Sri Lanka Oztag won the Emerging Nations Tournament and competed in the 2018 World Cup.

United States

In the United States, a tag game called EagleTag, or non-contact rugby league, is played using OzTag rules. Another tag game, based on rugby union rules and known as American flag rugby, has a league that plays every Saturday morning in July in Morris County, New Jersey.

International Tag Rugby Festivals

Rochdale Swarm Festival

The Rochdale Swarm International Mixed Tag Rugby League Festival is a popular event that returned for its 7th year on August 1, 2015. Teams from France, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales often join, along with local teams from Rochdale, including players from Fiji and the local Asian Community, plus Kiwi and Aussie players living there. This festival is a non-contact, mixed-gender competition where at least two of the seven players on the field must be female.

Malta International Tag Rugby Festival

The Malta International Tag Rugby Festival started in 2011. Teams from England, Scotland, France, and the Maltese islands have competed. Winners have included Try Tag Rugby All-Stars from the UK in 2011 and 2012, and Tumeke from the UK in 2013.

Tag Rugby World Cup

In December 2015, the Tag Rugby World Cup was held in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The next Tag Rugby World Cup was held in Coffs Harbour, Australia, in November 2018.