Is touch footy RL?

[KalgoorlieRed]

It must be a form of RL as this is based on a popular RL comp. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLzD-mca6oA

 

[Lockyer4President!]

I don't see what point this thread is getting at?

If the NRL can really get some sort of government benefit by claiming all oztag players as league players then fair enough, may as well try it, assuming the touch/oztag bodies agree to go along with it.

You said it yourself mate. If this can get RL more money and spreads the RL brand then it's a good thing that needs to happen.

 

[milchcow]

I guess what I thought but didn't state in my post is that I'm dubious there will be any actual benefit from claiming other players of other sports as league players.

Besides, given touch and oztag have organising bodies in their own right, I doubt its as simple as just claiming the players, and I don't think you could assume that touch and oztag would necessarily agree to become branches of the NRL. There's every possibility that they would want to retain their independance, as no doubt there would be omplications other than just boosting apparent NRL numbers.

 

[Perth Red]

There's no need for the NRL to create yet another version of RL when we've got two extremely popular social games based on RL.
All they need to do is give OzTag a decent deal to have the name changed to NRL OzTag (with NRL logos on the balls) and bingo, we have our Auskick equivalent.

BINGO!! Suddenly, for very little outlay, hundreds of thousands of people realise they are playing something related to RL and the NRL. Massive advertising, hopefully generates more interest in watching the real thing and gives the RL world a better chance to link up with the touch world and bring through more kids to play the real thing.

 

[Loudstrat]

RL1908, L4P and Perth Red are dead on the money. If you can't see touch as a direct derivative of League, you have problems.

Tip footy was the beach version, or the backyard version, when for some reason you didn't want to tackle - eg families with oldies or young kids, or cross gender sports.

I, too, have often thought touch should be combined with League to compliment both. In summer, a touch comp can fill in for juniors between league seasons. In schools, touch can introduce the concepts of the game without worrying about the impact of tackle. Touch comps are already a great fitness passtime, and the suitability for females and mixed teams is astounding.

 

[Morro]

I'm pretty sure Group 20 down in the Riverina has a female Oztag comp run alongside the League comp proper. So each of the clubs would also have a female oztag team that would play before the league games. I thought that was a great way to try and get the local communities involved with the local clubs where patronage was dropping off..

 

[Lockyer4President!]

I guess what I thought but didn't state in my post is that I'm dubious there will be any actual benefit from claiming other players of other sports as league players.

Besides, given touch and oztag have organising bodies in their own right, I doubt its as simple as just claiming the players, and I don't think you could assume that touch and oztag would necessarily agree to become branches of the NRL. There's every possibility that they would want to retain their independance, as no doubt there would be omplications other than just boosting apparent NRL numbers.

The Touch and/or OzTag associations would get funding from the NRL and have their product become even more mainstream due to the increased exposure that NRL would give them.

 

[Eels Dude]

RL1908, L4P and Perth Red are dead on the money. If you can't see touch as a direct derivative of League, you have problems.

Tip footy was the beach version, or the backyard version, when for some reason you didn't want to tackle - eg families with oldies or young kids, or cross gender sports.

I, too, have often thought touch should be combined with League to compliment both. In summer, a touch comp can fill in for juniors between league seasons. In schools, touch can introduce the concepts of the game without worrying about the impact of tackle. Touch comps are already a great fitness passtime, and the suitability for females and mixed teams is astounding.

Nobody is claiming it's not a direct derivative as league. Of course it is.

League has changed a lot over the years though, as has touch. Possibly to the point where it cannot go back. Touch is its own code now.

When I was at school we used to play league at lunch, but did it touch style cause we weren't allowed to tackle. It used to annoy me going from lunchtime touch footy to PE touch footy cause there was no kicking and other stuff. Just was not the same.

Overall, the games can be very similar, but very very different at the same time.

 

[RL1908]

I guess what I thought but didn't state in my post is that I'm dubious there will be any actual benefit from claiming other players of other sports as league players.

Besides, given touch and oztag have organising bodies in their own right, I doubt its as simple as just claiming the players, and I don't think you could assume that touch and oztag would necessarily agree to become branches of the NRL. There's every possibility that they would want to retain their independance, as no doubt there would be omplications other than just boosting apparent NRL numbers.

It's about about guiding the people who play and watch touch footy (outside of NSW and QLD) recognising that they are playing a game that is a stream-lined version of RL.

I'm not sure that at the moment that many in the other states have any idea that touch footy is RL - they obviously can recognise it is a "rugby" game, but may not make the direct connection to the NRL, Origin and the Kangaroos.

Touch footy's close connection (its origin and rules) to RL (if we care to highlight it!) is a door-way for new fans, players, sponsors and officials to make the leap into RL.

Surely, there is more chance of these people and their friends and families getting into RL than living in hope of others suddenly deciding RL is a sport that they want to have a closer look at.

 

[RL1908]

Nobody is claiming it's not a direct derivative as league. Of course it is.

League has changed a lot over the years though, as has touch. Possibly to the point where it cannot go back. Touch is its own code now.

When I was at school we used to play league at lunch, but did it touch style cause we weren't allowed to tackle. It used to annoy me going from lunchtime touch footy to PE touch footy cause there was no kicking and other stuff. Just was not the same.

Overall, the games can be very similar, but very very different at the same time.

I think you're missing the point - this is not about pushing for touch footy to change its rules.

It's just about the branding, publicity, marketing etc., and "pushing" that touch footy is a modified form of RL, but nevertheless, it is RL.

 

[Eels Dude]

I think you're missing the point - this is not about pushing for touch footy to change its rules.

It's just about the branding, publicity, marketing etc., and "pushing" that touch footy is a modified form of RL, but nevertheless, it is RL.

No. You're missing MY point. That point is that if league and touch footy are going to be compared the codes need to be brought together better. And in the best way of doing that is by rugby league developing a 'touch footy' game which has rules similar to league.

There's no point marketing something unless it's obvious they are connected. And let's face it, it's only going to be marketed in areas where rugby league is not a dominant sport. And in these areas, kids are not going to know much about league and thus are not going to know how and why touch and league are derived from one another.

There's no point in promoting Corn Flakes as Coco Pops.

 

[Thomas]

I'm not suggesting that the rules of touch footy be changed. All I'm suggesting is that it come under the NRL or ARL (or a united RL body).

Do Austouch have a say in this matter?

What would they gain out of it?

They appear to be in a pretty good shape for an amateur sport.

I mean I can see what point you are getting at.....but they are a legitimate sport with higher player numbers. What would they get out of it. So far the benefits you have stated are all for the NRL/ARL.

 

[gottabegood]

No. You're missing MY point. That point is that if league and touch footy are going to be compared the codes need to be brought together better. And in the best way of doing that is by rugby league developing a 'touch footy' game which has rules similar to league.

There's no point marketing something unless it's obvious they are connected. And let's face it, it's only going to be marketed in areas where rugby league is not a dominant sport. And in these areas, kids are not going to know much about league and thus are not going to know how and why touch and league are derived from one another.

There's no point in promoting Corn Flakes as Coco Pops.

So the AFL people who constantly remind us about their association with Auskick and it's "growing" numbers are complete idiots.....and will have no impact on the perception of the game and the minds of the people......hmmm......go to the top of the class....

 

[Teddyboy]

I'm not suggesting that the rules of touch footy be changed. All I'm suggesting is that it come under the NRL or ARL (or a united RL body).

While RL-derived touch footy is booming, the game of RL itself is portrayed in the media as in decline below the NRL, bush clubs are dying etc.... the reality is in the fast-paced world of the 21st century, people are opting for a softer form of RL to play socially.

With the athletic gap between the pro level of RL (which drives the rules of RL) and the rest widening, the numbers opting for touch footy to get their RL fix is only going to grow. People also want to play RL, but invest less time in training (if they do any at all), and can't afford to risk injury - that too leads to opting to play touch footy. Women and kids can play touch footy too, whereas fewer will play 13-aside RL. The game can be played well past your 50th birthday. It is all RL in my view.

When it comes to trying to expand the profile of RL in non-RL states & NZ, some connection needs to be made to the popularity of RL-derived touch footy. It is a means to connect with these people, to give the NRL an opening. In NZ, touch footy boasts that it is the largest participation sport in the country - that is something RL should be shouting from the roof tops about.

All I'm suggesting is that RL should embrace touch footy, brand it nationally under the RL banner, and start putting up the picture that presents interest in RL in a much more positive position.

I think the problem is that there are too many versions of Touch Rugby be it Touch/Tag/Oztag and Touch Rugby League.Maybe there should be 2 versions one for Rugby League and one for Rugby Union.
Touch could be one of the biggest sports in the world as it is non-contact game played by young and old as well as mixed sex and is a very good cardio workout.It also has a social side the same as the Rugby codes and is great for getting kids into both codes of Rugby as well as those who stop playing the full contact games but want to stick with some form of Rugby.
I think every Rugby League and Rugby Union club should have a Touch/Tag section be it in the summer or all year round as it all adds extra money over the bar.

Good thread Sean.

 

[Eels Dude]

So the AFL people who constantly remind us about their association with Auskick and it's "growing" numbers are complete idiots.....and will have no impact on the perception of the game and the minds of the people......hmmm......go to the top of the class....

What the AFL do has got nothing to do with what rugby league should or could do? Oh yeah, we should just follow everything they do right....

 

[Teddyboy]

The local Rugby Union club do a Touch night every thursday all year round and it's a great mix of Union/League fans alike.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Does the ARU count Rugby 7's participants as union players?

 

[Hindyscrack]

I'm not suggesting that the rules of touch footy be changed. All I'm suggesting is that it come under the NRL or ARL (or a united RL body).

While RL-derived touch footy is booming, the game of RL itself is portrayed in the media as in decline below the NRL, bush clubs are dying etc.... the reality is in the fast-paced world of the 21st century, people are opting for a softer form of RL to play socially.

With the athletic gap between the pro level of RL (which drives the rules of RL) and the rest widening, the numbers opting for touch footy to get their RL fix is only going to grow. People also want to play RL, but invest less time in training (if they do any at all), and can't afford to risk injury - that too leads to opting to play touch footy. Women and kids can play touch footy too, whereas fewer will play 13-aside RL. The game can be played well past your 50th birthday. It is all RL in my view.

When it comes to trying to expand the profile of RL in non-RL states & NZ, some connection needs to be made to the popularity of RL-derived touch footy. It is a means to connect with these people, to give the NRL an opening. In NZ, touch footy boasts that it is the largest participation sport in the country - that is something RL should be shouting from the roof tops about.

All I'm suggesting is that RL should embrace touch footy, brand it nationally under the RL banner, and start putting up the picture that presents interest in RL in a much more positive position.

Great idea, however. The NRL/ARL/NSWRL/CRL/QRL/ etc need to get their house in order and become a single governing body before they think that touch and/or oztag would want to fall under a single governing body.

 

[Hindyscrack]

Do Austouch have a say in this matter?

What would they gain out of it?

They appear to be in a pretty good shape for an amateur sport.

I mean I can see what point you are getting at.....but they are a legitimate sport with higher player numbers. What would they get out of it. So far the benefits you have stated are all for the NRL/ARL.

Thomas,

I know its all a pipe dream and none of us had really thought about it at all, however the benefits of stream lining All the RL's, OzTag and Touch would be enourmous for all governing bodies involved. Without going into too much detail some of the benefits that would be seen for the sport(s) include: savings on admin (staffing, development programes, legal, insurance, ground and club sharing) rises in government funding, sponsorships, player numbers, better talent identification.

Australia being the major player in League, Touch and Tag football would see unification of the different games at international level and potentially see a trickle effect of the popularity of all forms of the game globally.

However, as i stated at the start of my post, this is all a pipe dream and would never happen. RL cant even get its house in order at state, national and international level.

Stream lining RL with touch and or tag would create big things for the games world wide. The beauty of touch (and to a certain extent tag) is that all you need is a ball, a bit of open space and you have a game. This is what makes soccer globally appealing as it is a simple game that you can play pretty much anywhere.

Great thread Sean.

 

[Hindyscrack]

Nobody is claiming it's not a direct derivative as league. Of course it is.

League has changed a lot over the years though, as has touch. Possibly to the point where it cannot go back. Touch is its own code now.

When I was at school we used to play league at lunch, but did it touch style cause we weren't allowed to tackle. It used to annoy me going from lunchtime touch footy to PE touch footy cause there was no kicking and other stuff. Just was not the same.

Overall, the games can be very similar, but very very different at the same time.

Not true... there are different forms of soccer, which have different rules, player numbers, feild sizes and locations. However the ultimate goal is to get the ball into the back of the net more times then your opposition.

The same can be said for the different forms of RL, the ultimate goal is to get the ball over the line more times then your oppostion.