As the Springboks are getting ready for the Rugby World Cup, the South African Tag Rugby team has already made its way to the Tag World Cup in Ireland to represent the hopes and dreams of many South Africans.
The 2023 ITF Tag World Cup will take place at the University of Limerick from August 2 to 5.
Unlike the normal rugby game, tag rugby involves minimum contact, in which each player wears shorts with Velcro patches and two tags attached to them. The mode of the game is similar to rugby league or touch rugby, with attacking players attempting to dodge, evade, and pass a rugby ball, while defenders attempt to prevent them from scoring by ‘tagging— pulling one of the attackers’ Velcro-attached tags off.
Each team is permitted seven players on the field at once, and the field is typically 70 meters by 45 meters in size.
In order to score a try or advance the ball as close to the goal line as possible, the attacking team has six plays or tags to use. There are no conversions and each try is worth one point. Female tries in mixed-gender Tag Rugby are worth two points.
The Tag World Cups are currently held every three years, and the participants expressed excitement for the competition and the chance to face teams from Australia, Vietnam, New Zealand, and many other nations.
The Director of the Tag Rugby Association of South Africa, Stuart McConnel, said they are looking forward to the tournament and to competing against teams like Australia, Vietnam, New Zealand, and many other countries at this event.
‘’This is a huge step in the right direction for tag rugby in South Africa as the game continues to gain popularity. We are hoping that by offering national colours and players getting national colours, we will attract sponsors to invest in the game at both grassroots and high-performance levels,’’ he said.
Departing from the Cape Town International Airport on Wednesday, the captain of the team, Kyle Saunders, said this is a special moment for them and for their families.
‘’I am super excited. This means so much for me. As a little boy growing up, I have been dreaming of this moment. It means a lot for me to be representing my country,’’ said Saunders.