Touch rugby at the Bavarian International School

Touch München has just started grass roots development in Touch rugby here in Munich.

Last week TT's very own Beg Tets held the first trainig session for teenagers at the Bavarian International School in Haimhausen near Munich. The kids (both the boys and the girls) had a great time learning this fast and fun game, despite Beg Tet's efforts as drill seargent , and we will be going back to the BIS regularly to help train them and keep their interest going.

We hope this is the start of things to come here in Munich. Our aim is to introduce touch into as many schools as possible in the area so that many more youngsters can join in the fun! So if you have any contacts to schools that might be interested, please let us know (pm either Beg Tets, Gideon or myself).

Anyway to close off, a very big thanks to Beg Tets (and Gideon for the organisation) for getting this up and running, and a big thanks to the BIS for letting such a degenerate soul run loose amongst their kiddies.

Absolutely. It was great fun despite making me feel very old - oh to have the boundless energy of youth again! I had 11 lads and lasses for the session. They were keen to learn and it was very rewarding seeing the improvement even between the beginning and end of the session. I started the session with a few basic skills then finished off with a loosely refereed game, stopping every so often for explanations and a few tips. I am aiming to get stricter on the rules and introduce more complex skills as the students get more experienced. My primary aim at the moment is to keep it fun and hopefully get some more students interested.

Next training session is this wednesday at 1600hrs.

Will be there if you want us as got next two week off.Got a couple of size 4 Balls for them as part of the Rugby League-Touch rugby link up and can bring me Camera.Just let us know

Next training session is this wednesday at 1600hrs.
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That would be excellent mate! Last week I went to Lohof (on the S1 that arrives in Lohof at 15:09) and got the 15:18 bus out to Haimhausen. Would probably be best to meet at Lohof S-Bahn/bus stop if you are coming from town. We can get a lift back to the S-Bahn or into town with Helen after the session.

A couple of the lads expressed an interest in playing contact rugby for MRFC Colts. Coaching at the schools will be a good way to get rugby (union and league) going at grass roots level here in Bavaria. At the end of the day, rugby is rugby regardless of the stick us soft southern pansies give you thick, northern monkeys .

[quote name='Beg Tets' date='Oct 17 2005, 2:11 pm' post='330868']
That would be excellent mate! Last week I went to Lohof (on the S1 that arrives in Lohof at 15:09) and got the 15:18 bus out to Haimhausen. Would probably be best to meet at Lohof S-Bahn/bus stop if you are coming from town. We can get a lift back to the S-Bahn or into town with Helen after the session.

A couple of the lads expressed an interest in playing contact rugby for MRFC Colts. Coaching at the schools will be a good way to get rugby (union and league) going at grass roots level here in Bavaria. At the end of the day, rugby is rugby regardless of the stick us soft southern pansies give you thick, northern monkeys .

Are you referring to the 80 odd point drubbing Wigan RLFC gave your Bath RFC in the cross code challenge a few years back.Shaun Edwards was livid as Wigan took akk their best players of after 60 Minutes as he wanted 100!Why do you Southerners always need us Rugby League guys to show you how to defend and make a tackle?
See you Wednesday will get on S Bahn at Hauptbahnhof by the way.

Same reason I was able to give you a lesson in rucking when we played you back in september me old son

See you wednesday at Lohof. I'll be in the front part of the train.

If and when I am fully fit-damn knee I wonder if you could tackle me alone one on one which we Leaguies are so good at rather than you Unionites who need 4 or 5 people to stop someone! Cant beat a bit of banter mate!bad news on the Knee front and will tell you more tomoz.Will try and find you on S bahn tomoz.I will bring Camera, Rugby Balls anythingelse mate you would like me to bring?

So, 2nd session at the BIS and very heartening to see the huge improvement the students are making already. Slightly few numbers this week due to injuries from last weekend's big sports tournament but a good, fun session none the less. Many thanks to Dally M (that's a daft bloody name if ever there was one) for coaching too and for donating a set of balls courtesy of Rugby League Deutschland.

Next session is next wednesday at 4pm.

I think it's great that Helen has introduced Rugby to BIS and that you guys are taking the effort to push the sport played by men with funny shaped balls.

My 13 year old played for Tunbridge Wells RFC (2nd row/prop) till last season but as he says his principle game is the relocation of meat packed in the oppositions colours touch rugby is not enticing for him.

I did speak with one of you guys at the BIS yesterday about getting him involved with the colts but I will be coaching Basketball at BIS on Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday and can't get him there

I can understand that. Touch is not for everyone but there is lot you can learn from touch as a union player. It vastly improves ball handling skills, running angles, onfield communication and, of course, fitness. Some union players use touch to keep fit during the summer, others have made a complete switch and no longer play much union.

Hi Clive,

we spoke yesterday. Seems like wednesday isn't an option but fridays at Großhadern may well be. There seem to be more colts at friday training in any case. More info at http://www.munich-rugby.de/EN/colts.html (sorry, hyperlink thingy doesn't seem to be working).

Cheers,

Keith

I'm no expert - but is touch rugby basically more akin to League than Union? (apart from not putting ball between legs and 6 tackle rule etc). Does the touch bit therefore mean no rucks and mauls (which as far as I see are two of the most distinguishing bits of union)

BR, yes, touch was originally developed by league playes as an off-season game to keep up fitness. The basic concept is the same as league, except that instead of tackles you have touches (6 as in league). After a touch the ball is place on the ground and you step over, no need to heel it back like in league. There is no kicking and if the ball falls to the ground possession is turned over.

Because of the minimal contact it is suitable for people of all ages and both sexes. We play most competitions as a mixed team.

Thats one of the best descriptions of union I've read for a while.

Enjoyable day yesterday and nice to put something back into a game I enjoy playing-Touch.The nippers enjoyed it as well.Some like Luca have too much energy-and speed tho! We didnt take any Pics yesterday as we wanted permission first to make sure it was alright but hopefully BT will come along next week with us and then I can take a couple to pass on to Gids etc for the Touch munich Website.

I have asked the Rugby League European Federation to help provide Posters and other stuff as well so that i can give the school some more stuff and get people aware of Rugby league along with Touch Rugby which has been stated are very similar.This is one of the benefits that League and Touch can bring as I have contacts that can get me Promo stuff to give to the school while Touch can be an introduction as it were to kids maybe playing League later in life

One of the players with the Wests Tigers (They of course won the NRL Grand Final in Australia this year)-Benji Marshall a Kiwi-originates from Touch Rugby and you can see this by how he plays at 5/8th.Sadly he is in need of surgery so wont be playing for New Zealand on Friday Evening.
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BT-Here is some info on "Dally M"-Dally M is Hernert "Dally" Messenger who was the first Australian Rugby League Star and the best NRL player each year is given the Dally M trophy.In 1907 a New Zealander A.H Baskiville organized a first Rugby League Tour to England.Some of Sydneys top players had had enough of Rugby Union and together with top Cricketer Victor Trumper and Entrepeneur James Giltinan and wanted to join up with Baskiville and his All Golds team and so invited them to play in Sydney before heading to England.The Australians began signing up the best Rugby players by offering them money to join-much to the annoyance of the RugbyUnion who immediately banned them!A ban that would cause major problems and rift between League and union which has gone on until the Ban was lifted in 1995 when Union became openly amateur-there are a number of examples of Union players being payed in secret well before 1995!
Herbert "Dally" Messenger was the Aussue top Rugby player but despite the threats of being banned he came over to the game which would in time be called Rugby League-He had sense good lad! :PThe game between NSW and New Zealand in 1907 was played under union rules as they werent sure under what rules were played in England of the Breakaway group at that time.Messenger stood out a mile and Baskiville invited him along to tour with them.After regular reports of how Star Centre Messenger was destroying the English this led to much interest in NSW about the breakaway Rugby group.In 20th April 1908 the first Professional Comp in Australia occured (1895 in England) with Balmain Tigers, Wests (Both now part of Wests Tigers), Easts (Sydney Roosters), Newtown (Newtown Jets), Glebe, North Sydney (North Sydney Bears), Newcastle (Newcastle Knights) and Souths (South Sydney Rabbitohs) with Cumberland joining in round 2.The games were played under the New Rules from the Breakaway group in England.

Next session is next wednesday at 4pm

Will defo be there.Just let me know if you cant make it.You know my E mail address. i will send you my handy number as well.Thanks again to BIS and Helen for letting us in and hope we can bring some joy to the kids as well as helping them learn to play as a team and other benefits playing touch brings.

Many thanks to Dally M for taking the training session yesterday. I was unable due to work commitments and OG, the muppet, lost his car keys.

The school have a one week break-Half term or summit.We will go in 2 weeks OK Keith?wasnt too many yesterday 6 lads but we still achieved alot and they improved again on last week.A couple of American kids love it and have said they will come again.So all positives too look at.