Premier Rugby have announced that they have secured sponsorship from Gilbert Rugby and support from Sportsmatch to run 24 Touch Rugby festivals over the summer.
The festivals will culminate in finals at 11 of the Zurich Premiership clubs in September. Teams are able to win kit and equipment grants from Gilbert, the official ball supplier to England Rugby and Premier Rugby.
The one day festivals will be run at local rugby clubs and public places across the country including Mandela Park in Leicester and Tynemouth Beach in the North East. They are open to mixed sex adult teams and the emphasis is on the fun, social side of rugby.
Teams are restricted to three regular rugby players per squad of ten, thus encouraging new participants to the sport via the non-contact version of the game. The events are being run in conjunction with touchrugby.com who have pioneered the introduction of touch rugby to the UK.
Touch rugby is a non-contact version of rugby that is now played the world over. It is particularly popular in Australia and New Zealand with more registered touch players than the 15-a-side game.
The festivals date and venues are as follows:
| Date | Venue | Premier Rugby Club |
| 19.07.03 | Cobham RFC, Surrey | NEC Harlequins |
| 20.07.03 | Chinnor RFC, Thame, Oxon | London Wasps |
| 27.07.03 | Phoenix RFC, Taplow, Bucks | London Wasps |
| 30.07.03 | Huddersfield RFC, West Yorkshire | Leeds Tykes |
| 06.08.03 | Burnage RFC, Manchester | Sale Sharks |
| 09.08.03 | Bletchley RFC, Milton Keynes | Northampton Saints |
| 10.08.03 | Clifton RFC, Bristol | Bristol Shoguns |
| 10.08.03 | Twyford Avenue, Wasps | London Wasps |
| 13.08.03 | Altrincham Kersal RFC, Cheshire | Sale Sharks |
| 16.08.03 | Richmond RFC, West London | NEC Harlequins |
| 16.08.03 | Brackley RFC, Northants | Northampton Saints |
| 17.08.03 | Bristol Barbarians RFC | Bristol Shoguns |
| 24.08.03 | Mandela Park, Leicester | Leicester Tigers |
| 24.08.03 | Dinnington RFC, Sheffield | Rotherham |
| 24.08.03 | Darlington Mowden Park, Co. Durham | Newcastle Falcons |
| 24.08.03 | Roundheigans RFC, Leeds | Leeds Tykes |
| 30.08.03 | The Stoop, Twickenham | NEC Harlequins |
| 31.08.03 | Wath-Upon-Dearne RFC, South Yorkshire | Rotherham |
| 31.08.03 | Tynemouth Beach, Tyne and Wear | Newcastle Falcons |
| 10.09.03 | Redingensians, Reading, Berkshire | London Irish |
| 14.09.03 | Ealing Trailfinders RFC, West London | London Irish |
| T.B.C | Old Albanians RFC, St Albans, Herts | Saracens |
| T.B.C | T.B.C | Saracens |
For further details please contact Mick Hogan on 07764 699645
To register at one of the festivals, please go to www.touchrugby.com
