“Touch is great way to keep fit and have fun” said Stroud Rugby member and RFU Council Representative Nigel Gillingham who is helping to organise the inaugural O2 Touch tournament at Stroud “no other sport I know of allows men and women of all ages and abilities to take to the field together. There’s no crunching tackles, no cauliflower ears, no up the jumper. Touch rugby is non-contact, fast paced and perfect for everyone from the absolute beginner to the expert player. Easy to learn, easy to play, and there is a great social time afterwards!”.

Stroud Rugby will be running the O2 recreational touch rugby tournament over 8 Friday evenings in July and August, with a party to celebrate the final evening of the tournament. The series will begin with introductory training sessions for those who have not played before where coaches will be on hand to hone skills and help individuals reach their true touch potential. “Touch is game for players, both beginners and the more experienced, both young and old, male and female” said Philip Duffy, Touch Operations Manager at the RFU, “The RFU wants to broaden the reach and appeal of rugby through Touch and this is a key area for the RFU to create a lasting legacy for rugby in the build up to and beyond the Rugby World Cup in 2015.”

Stroud Rugby is one of 75 new O2 Touch Centres established by the RFU, with the RFU committed to a further 100 O2 Touch Centres during 2013/14. There are currently O2 Touch Centres at 53 clubs and 10 universities.

Nigel Gillingham added “O2 Touch at Stroud Rugby is still accepting entries for the tournament, so if your street, your firm, your pub, your school /college, your club, your family or a group of friends want to get together and enter please contact me at touch@stroudrugby.co.uk or see the club’s website for more details www.stroudrugby.co.uk. “