Touch rugby is a non-contact form of the game. Nick Frank, president of the RCL Touch club, said in a press release:
“We started junior touch to provide an opportunity for girls and boys who love to run and catch balls, to play a form of rugby without tackling.”
RCL Touch marked the competition a success. Frank stated:
“Considering this first year was a bit of an experiment, we have exceeded expectations. Junior touch probably has more girls playing in the 8-13 age group than all the rugby clubs combined in Luxembourg. The boys who are attracted to the sport are perhaps less aggressive than their Ecole [editor’s note: traditional rugby] colleagues, but enjoy the greater emphasis on speed of thought and position.”
The tournament was held during the “RCL Wildgen 10s Festival of Rugby” on Saturday 6 July.
Pictured: Luxembourg junior touch players watch a match during the Kleos Junior Touch Rugby Tournament, 6 July 2019. The tournament consisted of round-robin matches between 6 mixed-aged teams, each with 5 girls and boys aged 8-13. Photo: Rugby Club Luxembourg
The club stated that, for the next edition, “we will be expanding to include boys and girls from 13-16, with the objective of playing in the European Junior Touch championships in 2020.”