What is tag rugby?
Tag Rugby is a minimal contact team game in which each player wears shorts with Velcro patches and two tags attached to them. The mode of play is similar to rugby league or touch rugby, with attacking players attempting to dodge, evade and pass a rugby ball, whilst defenders attempt to prevent them from scoring by ‘tagging’ – pulling one of the attackers’ Velcro-attached tags off.
Seven players in each team are allowed on the field at a time, whilst the field dimensions are generally 70m by 45m.
The attacking team has six plays or tags to try to score a try or take the ball down field as close to the line as possible.
Tries are worth one point and there are no conversions. In mixed Tag Rugby, female tries are worth two points.
Find Your League
If you’ve played Tag Rugby in school or as a child, you’ll see that the official Try Tag Rugby rules are quite different – our rules lead to a more dynamic and enjoyable game. Our adult leagues utilise Tag Rugby Shorts that use Velcro pads, rather than traditional Tag Rugby belts, creating a cleaner and safer game.
We have started up and are bring our brand of Tag Rugby to children. Check out our Juniors page for more info.
Although games are 40 minutes long, rolling substitutes are permitted, so you can come off the pitch for a breather as often – or as little – as you require. Plus, there’s so much going on, that you won’t even realise how much exercise you’ve done!
Of course not! We offer leagues at multiple different ability levels all over the country, varying from complete beginners who’ve never so much as looked at a rugby ball, right up to experienced players. Whether you’re a lifelong rugby player or a new starter, our Free Taster Sessions will help identify the perfect level for you.
Points are scored via tries, like in rugby. However, there’s no conversions in our game – tries are worth one point, so it’s easy to keep track of the score. In mixed games, female tries are worth double.
Tag Rugby games last around 40 minutes.
Tag Rugby can be played on pitches of varying sizes, with varying numbers of players per side. The number of players on the pitch for each league is always noted on our website.
The various formats we offer and male / female split for mixed leagues is as follows:
8-a-side – four males (maximum) and four females
7-a-side – four males (maximum) and three females
6-a-side – three males (maximum) and three females
5-a-side – three males (maximum) and two females
If you are short of males, you can have more females on pitch but not vice-versa.