TAG rugby Pilot Project gets biggest stage

TAG rugby players from the Clark Primary School from Elsies River and Siqcawu Primary School from Nyanga will play a curtain raiser at 15h30 to the Vodacom Stormers match against the Hurricanes at Newlands in an initiative backed by the Western Province Rugby Union.

The youngsters are some of the 7 090 boys and girls who have been introduced to rugby through TAG in the six months since the project was launched. The programme uses TAG Rugby to introduce the young boys and girls to physical activity while delivering an anti drugs and anti crime message.

The Programme is also endorsed by the United Nations, Western Cape Departments of Education, Cultural Affairs and Sport, Community Safety, Safe Schools Programme and SAPS.

“TAG Rugby is a wonderful way to introduce rugby to children in a safe, fun manner,” said Theo Kleynhans, General Manager Youth Rugby for the Western Province Rugby Union. “We are working closely with the TAG Rugby Association to promote the game in new schools as well as in schools where rugby needs to be re-introduced.

“TAG Rugby is also a great vehicle to improve handling skills in players that already are playing Rugby,” he said.

Western Cape MEC for Education, Donald Grant, said: “I love the flexibility of this game, which is important because each of our schools has a unique set of circumstances. I have seen TAG Rugby played on dusty fields, roads and even on the beach in Plettenberg Bay.

“We endorse TAG Rugby as it promotes physical activity in schools, along with the other benefits sport offers, such as discipline, teamwork and commitment, all of which, can be taken back into the classroom and applied to schoolwork.”

Note to editors: TAG Rugby is a fun safe manner to introduce rugby to children because there is no tackling, kicking, scrums or lineouts. All the participants take part in the game that improves handling as well as defending and attacking skills.