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An introduction to ‘Walking Rugby’

An introduction to ‘Walking Rugby’

Kyle Joseph6 Dec 2022 - 10:03
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https://www.chesterrufc.com/ne

Author: Sue Rigby, ‘Walking Rugby’ Player

Our great game of rugby is such a flexible game it exists in all guises and for people of all ages. We are pleased to report that ‘walking rugby’ is now available and thriving amongst mainly our older members at Chester RUFC.

The Sale Sharks community team introduced Walking Rugby to Chester RUFC a few years ago. Its purpose was to provide exercise and social activity for over 55s. In the early days, it was received enthusiastically by a wide group: the intended over 55s, parents who were waiting for children in a training session, parents with their children who had just finished their training session and were still full of energy, and so on.

As Covid changed the training schedules, so the nature of the Walking Rugby group has also changed, and over time we have lost many of the younger members. The age of the group is now mainly over 55. There is, however, no reduction in enthusiasm or skill. Our most prolific scorer is 80 years old.

The Walking Rugby group meets every Tuesday at 7pm. During the lighter evenings we play over the road on the Cabbage Patch. Now we need the floodlights to see each other (and the ball), we play on the grass between the pitch and the scoreboard. It can get a bit muddy, but that’s rugby. The rules are similar to touch rugby with no tackling, but the game is played at a walking pace (or trotting in some cases – “it was momentum, honest!”). We play for about an hour and then spend a similar time in the bar unless it’s raining really hard, in which case we have been known to miss out on the rugby part.

Some of our players have played rugby in the past and are keen to pass on their knowledge and advice. It can get very competitive at times, but the final score is irrelevant, mainly because most of the passes are forward, and the tries are often referred to the fourth official.

If you fancy a bit of exercise, some friendly competition and a lot of laughs, come and join us on Tuesday nights. Please contact Sue Rigby 07704 703435 for more information. We have a WhatsApp group to check availability (and the weather forecast), so no one travels unnecessarily. All ages and abilities are welcome.

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