FAQs
Touch rugby questions, answered
Everything people message us before their first Monday: the rules, the kit, the cost and the ones nobody likes asking out loud.
The sport
What is touch rugby?
Touch rugby is rugby with the tackling taken out. Instead of being tackled you're stopped by a two-handed touch, so it's fast, low-impact and much easier to pick up than the contact game. Six players a side, lots of running, lots of passing, and nobody ends up in a heap on the floor.
Is touch rugby suitable for beginners?
Yes. Most people who come to us have never played before. There are only a handful of rules, someone walks you through them before you start, and you learn the rest by playing. You will not be the only new person on the pitch.
Do I need rugby experience?
None at all. Plenty of our members had never touched a rugby ball before their first Monday. If you can jog and catch, you can play, and if you can do neither yet, that is what the first few weeks are for.
Is touch rugby difficult?
The rules take one session to learn. Getting good takes longer, which is the fun bit. Nothing about it is dangerous or intimidating. There's no contact, no scrums, no lineouts.
How fit do I need to be?
Fit enough to jog about. It's an active two hours, but you rotate on and off the pitch constantly, so you go at the pace that suits you. A lot of people join specifically to get fitter, and it works far better than the gym because you forget you're exercising.
Who can play
Can women play touch rugby?
Absolutely, and lots do. We run a women's squad alongside our mixed sessions, and Monday nights are always a mix of men and women training together. Women's touch is one of the fastest-growing parts of the sport in the UK.
Is touch rugby mixed?
Ours is. Mixed touch, men and women in the same team, is a proper format with its own tournaments, and it is how most of our Monday sessions run. We also enter open and women's competitions.
Can I come on my own?
Yes, and most people do. You'll be put into a team within about ninety seconds of arriving and you'll know half a dozen names by the end. Coming alone is genuinely the normal way to join.
Is touch rugby social?
Very. It is the main reason a lot of our members come. There is a pub afterwards, a busy group chat, tournaments around the UK with a weekend attached, and a steady stream of socials that have nothing to do with rugby.
Where and when
Where can I play touch rugby in Manchester?
We train every Monday at Hough End Leisure Centre on 480 Princess Road in south Manchester, 6:00pm – 8:00pm. It's a ten-minute drive from Chorlton, Withington or Didsbury, there is free parking, and there are floodlit grass pitches so the sessions run through winter.
Where can I play touch rugby near Stockport?
We don't have a Stockport pitch of our own yet, but plenty of our players come across from Heaton Chapel, Cheadle, Burnage and Reddish. Hough End is a straight run across south Manchester. If you're Stockport-based, message us and we'll sort you a lift with someone coming the same way.
Turning up
What should I wear?
Whatever you would go for a run in. Trainers are fine on dry ground, boots are better once it turns wet. Shorts and a t-shirt, plus something warm for the walk back to the car in January.
What should I bring?
Yourself, a water bottle and trainers. We provide bibs, balls and everything else. There are changing rooms if you are coming straight from work.
How much does it cost?
Your first session is free, no strings. After that we run pay-as-you-play and membership options, so message us and we will tell you exactly what it costs before you commit to anything.
How do I join?
Message us on WhatsApp and tell us you fancy a go. We'll let you know what to bring and look out for you at Hough End Leisure Centre on Monday. That's the whole process.
Ready to give touch rugby a try?
Message us, tell us you fancy a go, and turn up on Monday. First session is free and you will not be the only new face there.