Rugby for all ages

Pupils at Balfour Primary School are taking to the pitch with enthusiasm, training for tag rugby championships next year.

In 2013, the Balfour Lions battled through the local, regional and national heats to become National Tag Rugby Champions. In the 2014 competition, the team made it all the way through to the final before being beaten to the top spot on try difference by St Lawrence School from Shropshire.

This year’s young players are hoping to repeat the roaring success of previous teams from the school. The young players are now gearing up for local and county tag competitions.

Balfour pupils on the pitch

Lee Stevenson, teaching assistant and rugby coach at Balfour Primary School, said: “The children are dedicated and keen to be the best they can be. We are extremely proud of our success nationally in the Tag Rugby Championships. Aside from the physical benefits of playing an active game, we feel the children really benefit from learning the core values associated with rugby, that is Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship.”

The Balfour Lions squad of 21 children, aged 9 to 11 years, is a mixed team of boys and girls. Tag Rugby has different rules from the traditional game and involves less physical contact making it more suitable for younger players.

Red and blue tags

Each player wears two plastic “tags”. If the player carrying the ball has one of their tags captured by an opponent, they have just three seconds to pass to a fellow team member or forfeit the ball. Tries are scored by crossing the try lines at either end of the pitch.

The game is a fast paced and fun version of rugby, requiring skill and determination to win. The non-contact speedy nature of the sport makes it suitable for both adults and children, and for boys and girls to play together. Tag rugby is the RFU’s official version of the game for under-7s and under-8s.

Keen to be part of the Rugby experience

Balfour Tag Rugby team will be writing about their experiences in future blog posts.