North Shields and Newcastle braced for Tag Rugby revolution in the north east’s most inclusive sport

Tag Rugby has come to the north eastTag Rugby has come to the north east
Tag Rugby has come to the north east | National World
The north east’s newest and most inclusive sport is here in North Shields. Introducing Tag Rugby.

As the temperature gauge drops perilously close to what can scientifically be described as ‘fairly chilly’, you could forgive these hardy souls for heading back to the comfort of home. Instead, they all pile into cars, some sharing with people that were complete strangers just eight weeks ago, to head to the pub and celebrate the end of what has been yet another brilliant season of Try Tag Rugby Newcastle.

A culmination of a lot of hard work, sweat and tears (mostly laughter), the celebrations could finally begin. The Salty Sea Dog in North Shields is the home of post-Tag Rugby beers, cocktails and pop as the two winning teams are presented with their medals.

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Whilst ‘Come Tyne With Me’ and ‘Miss Trynamite’ were the ones celebrating their Cup and Plate triumphs respectively, an on-looker wouldn’t be able to tell that 90% of those at the Salty Sea Dog had just missed out on medals.

That’s because Tag Rugby, introduced to the north east earlier this year, is about so much more than the end result. Yes, having that piece of metal around your neck is something to treasure and something that this author, who has been on the losing team in two finals during the three seasons it has run, craves more than most things in life.

But the feeling of community that develops within the group, most of whom have very limited Tag Rugby experience before they join, is something that Jack Oddie, who runs Tag Rugby in the north east, is keen to foster: “The social side of it is massive. The vast majority of people [who play] are regulars in the pub after games.

“That means that it’s not just the 40 minutes of a match or even just the night of the match, but we’re seeing friendships and relationships occur just because they’ve met at tag. All of a sudden, there’s a tag community with lots of socials and events that are separate from us taking place.

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“We absolutely love to see it and it’s great to see that people have really taken to it and with it being brand new in the north east, it’s now genuinely a massive part of some people’s lives, which is great.”

In amongst all of this community spirit, though, there are still competitive games of tag rugby to be played. Cup and Plate leagues aim to make the matches equal whilst newcomers are welcomed into existing teams with open arms.

Dan Roberts, who has recently been selected to represent a newly-formed Newcastle Rockets team in national competitions, spoke of what Tag Rugby means to him: “I play tag rugby for all the new people I get to meet whilst also having fun.

“It’s so much fun to play but it also provides some great social opportunities in being a team sport.”

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This is a sentiment echoed by fellow player Louie Parkin: “I love the sense of community and passion that everyone shows for this sport. It’s not very often so many people from so many different ages and experience comes to play a sport. That is something that should be celebrated.”

To discover more about Tag Rugby and opportunities to join in the north east, follow Try Tag Rugby Newcastle on social media or contact [email protected].

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