{"id":1981,"date":"2010-05-25T23:17:01","date_gmt":"2010-05-25T22:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/?p=1981"},"modified":"2010-05-25T23:29:13","modified_gmt":"2010-05-25T22:29:13","slug":"touch-taking-off-in-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/touch-taking-off-in-ireland\/","title":{"rendered":"Touch Taking Off In Ireland!"},"content":{"rendered":"

With summer on our doorstep, it\u2019s a common sight to see people running around on pitches with a rugby ball. Most of them have the Velcro strips flapping in the breeze. But on the back pitches of Terenure College you\u2019ll hear them yell \u201ctouch!\u201d instead of \u201ctag!\u201d<\/p>\n

So what is touch rugby? The game of touch was established in Australia more than 40 years ago and is loosely described as a simplified non-contact version of rugby league. It\u2019s played in some rugby clubs as a warm up in training, but is actually a competitive sport that is played at an both a social and elite level in most rugby nations, with a whopping 25,000 people playing in the UK alone.<\/p>\n

President of the Ireland Touch Association, Mr Peter Ashe-Browne, is keen to see the sport develop throughout Ireland.<\/p>\n

Pictures From Dublin sharks And Dublin Mixed Herbs Here Click Here<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an incredible game that has structure and develops skills really well, particularly for rugby players in the off-season looking to stay fit. All you need is a ball and a patch of grass, and everyone can get involved,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With Ireland due to participate in its second European Touch Championships this year in Bristol, the numbers participating in touch rugby has increased dramatically with four teams competing in the Mixed Open, Men\u2019s Open, Men\u2019s Over 35s and Men\u2019s Over 40s divisions. <\/p>\n

\u201cTouch is a unique sport where men and women can play side-by-side at an international level. We are hoping that through our participation at the 2010 European Touch Championships, we can highlight touch as an accessible sport for Irish men and women of any age.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is currently a development squad training every Thursday evening from 8.00pm at Terenure College where you can learn the basics of touch. For more information on how to get involved in touch rugby, please visit www.touchrugby.ie or www.irelandtouchassociation.com. To see touch in action, head to You Tube and type in \u2018touch rugby\u2019. <\/p>\n

5 QUICK TOUCH RULES:
\n1.\tThere is no marker: Once a touch is made, the \u2018toucher\u2019 has to retreat to become onside.
\n2.\tDummy half cannot get caught with the ball or score a try: The ball must be released by the dummy half or it is a turnover.
\n3.\tDon\u2019t drop the ball!: If the ball hits the ground, it is a turnover.
\n4.\tThe attacker can initiate a touch: This allows the attacking team to dictate the pace of play, and encourages the attacking team to play the ball quickly in the hope of forcing the defensive team offside.
\n5.\tThere is no kicking: Touch is all about passing, and avoiding being touched. Speed, skill and structure are key to a good game of touch. <\/p>\n

IRELAND TO COMPETE FOR TOUCH RUGBY EUROPEAN TITLE<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Ireland Touch Association has today named the four teams to compete in July at the 2010 European
\nTouch (Rugby) Championships in Bristol from 22-25 July.
\nThe four teams representing the best touch rugby players in Ireland will compete in the Mixed Open, Men\u2019s
\nOpen, Men\u2019s Over 35s and Men\u2019s Over 40s divisions.
\nPeter Ashe-Browne, President of the Ireland Touch Association, is confident of success in Bristol.
\n\u201cOur squads have been training for several months now and are a group of dedicated men and women who
\nare determined to assert Ireland as contenders for the European title,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWhile the Men\u2019s Over 40s are confident of retaining their title as Champions of Europe, our Mixed Open
\nteam firmly believes it can build on the success of their debut at the last European Championships in 2008.\u201d
\nThe Men\u2019s Open team and Men\u2019s Over 35s team will make their first ever appearance for Ireland at a
\nEuropean level this year.
\nMr Ashe-Browne also highlighted the importance of this tournament as preparation for the World Cup next
\nyear in Edinburgh.
\n\u201cAs touch is still a developing sport in Ireland, competitions such as the European Championships are the
\nperfect setting to showcase the natural talent of many Irish players who have taken up the sport in the last
\nfive years,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cTouch is a unique sport where men and women can play side-by-side at an international level. We are
\nhoping that through our participation at the 2010 European Touch Championships, we can highlight touch
\nas an accessible sport for Irish men and women of any age.\u201d
\nThis year, the event will bring together 56 teams with over 900 players and more than 50 referees from 16
\ndifferent countries.
\nMixed Open: Aroha Nathan; Ashley McLaughlan; Christina Tuataga; Claire Camilleri; Craig D\u2019Alton;
\nDeanna O\u2019Byrne; Eddie Devitt; Elizabeth Comerford; Emma O\u2019Byrne; Eric Jackman; Katie O\u2019Byrne; Michael
\nWills; Nathan Simpson; Shannon Tau; Simon Neale; Teresa Aldous.
\nMen\u2019s Over 40s: Frank Ennis; Edward Morton; Simon McKenna; Howard Tracey; Fergus Conway; Rory
\nHickey; Brian Sweeney; Philip Elliott; John Gleeson; Kevin Stiles; Barry Keogh; Paul Brown; David
\nO’Donnell; Brian Noble; Martin Huggard; Peter Ashe-Browne
\nMen\u2019s Over 35s: Andrew Moss; Paul Bradley; Gary Purcell; Federico Black; Mark Bagnal; Boris Darceaux;
\nMicheal Davies; Emerson Devlin; David Dowling; Les Devlin; Garret Fanning; Garrett Agnew; Clayton
\nHomer; Peter Gilbourne; Gerald Pelosi.
\nMen\u2019s Open: David Beagon; Jack Brennan; Daragh Devlin; John Gavin; Alan Glenn; Mark Kavanagh;
\nAdam Kelly; Nicholas Leung; Luke Madden; Kevin Masterson; Eamon McAlleese; Stephen O’Connor;
\nShane O’Neill; Killian O’Sullivan; Josh Russell Carroll; Mark Woolfield<\/p>\n


\nFor more information on Touch Rugby in Ireland, please click here <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With summer on our doorstep, it\u2019s a common sight to see people running around on pitches with a rugby ball. Most of them have the Velcro strips flapping in the breeze. But on the back pitches of Terenure College you\u2019ll hear them yell \u201ctouch!\u201d instead of \u201ctag!\u201d So what is touch rugby? The game of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2095,476,2096],"tags":[2155,2153,2134,2104,2103,2105,2097,2128,2139,2131,2124,2106,2100,2146,2107,2151,2149,2142,2130,2108,2101,2098,2159,1183,2119,2109,2141,2110,2111,2137,2122,2118,2144,2145,2136,2148,2121,2150,2152,2126,2163,2099,2112,2158,2127,2162,2143,2157,2138,2154,2164,2132,2113,2140,2102,2114,2156,2135,2129,2133,2147,2125,2123,2161,2115,2120,2116,2160,2117],"class_list":{"0":"post-1981","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"hentry","6":"category-ireland-touch-rugby","7":"category-tag-rugby","8":"category-touch-rugby","9":"tag-adam-kelly","10":"tag-alan-glenn","11":"tag-andrew-moss","12":"tag-aroha-nathan","13":"tag-ash-mclachlan","14":"tag-ashley-mclaughlan","15":"tag-ayla-mclaughlin","16":"tag-barry-keogh","17":"tag-boris-darceaux","18":"tag-brian-noble","19":"tag-brian-sweeney","20":"tag-christina-tuataga","21":"tag-claire-camilleri","22":"tag-clayton-homer","23":"tag-craig-dalton","24":"tag-daragh-devlin","25":"tag-david-beagon","26":"tag-david-dowling","27":"tag-davidodonnell","28":"tag-deanna-obyrne","29":"tag-dublin-mixed-herbs","30":"tag-dublin-sharks","31":"tag-eamon-mcalleese","32":"tag-eddie-devitt","33":"tag-edward-morton","34":"tag-elizabeth-comerford","35":"tag-emerson-devlin","36":"tag-emma-obyrne","37":"tag-eric-jackman","38":"tag-federico-black","39":"tag-fergus-conway","40":"tag-frank-ennis","41":"tag-garret-fanning","42":"tag-garrett-agnew","43":"tag-gary-purcell","44":"tag-gerald-pelosi","45":"tag-howard-tracey","46":"tag-jack-brennan","47":"tag-john-gavin","48":"tag-john-gleeson","49":"tag-josh-russell-carroll","50":"tag-katie-obyrne","52":"tag-kevin-masterson","53":"tag-kevin-stiles","54":"tag-killian-osullivan","55":"tag-les-devlin","56":"tag-luke-madden","57":"tag-mark-bagnal","58":"tag-mark-kavanagh","59":"tag-mark-woolfield","60":"tag-martin-huggard","61":"tag-michael-wills","62":"tag-micheal-davies","63":"tag-nate-simpson","64":"tag-nathan-simpson","65":"tag-nicholas-leung","66":"tag-paul-bradley","67":"tag-paul-brown","68":"tag-peter-ashe-brown","69":"tag-peter-gilbourne","70":"tag-philip-elliott","71":"tag-roryhickey","72":"tag-shane-oneill","73":"tag-shannon-tau","74":"tag-simon-mckenna","75":"tag-simon-neale","76":"tag-stephen-oconnor","77":"tag-teresa-aldous"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1981"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1987,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1981\/revisions\/1987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}