Fun, fast and competitive, is touch rugby at Abu Dhabi Quins the best mixed-gender team sport on offer in the city right now? Alex Hammond went to Zayed Sports City to find out
In search of a fun, high-octane and sociable sport to occupy an evening, allow us to enjoy some fresh air and help us regain some semblance of fitness, we sign up for touch rugby at Abu Dhabi Harlequins.
Taking place every Tuesday evening on the rugby pitches at Zayed Sports City, the recreational league is well attended, with 15 teams turning out to compete every week. We have been playing contact rugby for almost 20 years, and a healthy percentage of players are also regulars in Abu Dhabi Harlequins’ four full contact teams, but there are also dozens of non-rugby players and touch specialists who enjoy the sport.
There are two leagues: the Premiership and the Championship. We are put into a team in the Championship alongside some established touch rugby players
and a few new faces.
The first thing we notice is how friendly and sociable everyone is, despite the competitive nature of the league (and trust us, once the whistle blows everyone puts in 100 per cent effort to win). Every team has an eclectic mix of ages and nationalities (in our first game we are matched against a team containing a girl who’s perhaps as young as 13, and the fastest 50-year-old we have ever seen), which adds to the social atmosphere.
Teams play either one or two games per night, depending on the schedule. On this occasion we are playing two. We take to the field and almost immediately make our second observation about touch rugby: it’s exhausting. The game is fast-paced and, even though the pitch is only half the size of a full rugby pitch, there is a lot of ground to cover for only six people. Halves are 20 minutes each, but after three or four minutes of non-stop action we’re taking a knee in the middle of the field trying to catch our breath. Fortunately we can sub off and on at will, so we take a breather for two minutes and try to gather ourselves together.
The game flies by, and before we know it we’re in the middle of a half-time team talk. We’re a couple of scores down, but still in with a chance of turning the game around. However our legs are tired, and all of a sudden the score difference becomes too wide to close. We go down fighting… but down we do go.
After a 40-minute rest, we’re back on the field again – and now our four first-time players have 40 minutes of touch rugby under their belts, things go much better. Team members having an understanding among themselves is the difference between a good team and a very good team, and so with more chemistry to our play, our side begins to look like a far more professional outfit.
We are behind by one try at half time but during the second half we score quickly and often, finishing the game as comfortable winners. We don’t get on the scoreboard, but thoroughly enjoy the game and feel like we’ve had a real cardio workout.
Overall our experience of touch rugby has been positive, and we will now be playing every week. The season is coming to an end in the next couple of weeks, but with four league competitions running throughout the year, the tournament will be kicking off again soon.
We hope to see you on the pitch!
New leagues start in April. Zayed Sports City, every Tuesday, 7.00pm-9.00pm. For more info email touch@abudhabiquins.com; www.abudhabiquins.com
Quick-start guide
The rules of touch rugby
On the face of it, the rules are pretty simple. The basics are the same as contact rugby (you can only pass the ball backwards; if you knock the ball forward you lose possession; you score points by placing the ball down over your opponent’s try line), with the obvious distinction that this is a non-contact sport. So instead of hitting or tackling the opposition, you merely have to touch them to halt play. If you’re tackled you must stop and place the ball on the ground between your legs for a teammate to pick up and pass. Once your team has been tackled six times, the ball is then turned over to the opposition.
There are some other rules specific to touch rugby as well. A team fields six players on the pitch at any given time, including at least one female, and squads are limited to 12 people. You can sub players on and off at will. Each try by a male player scores one point, and each by a female scores two points.
