Huw S Thomas reports:

The first ever Llandovery Tag Rugby Festival takes place at Church Bank this Saturday (July 31).

The brainchild of Llandovery RFC President Phil Davies, the Tournament - under the umbrella of TARW (Tag Association Rugby Wales) - promises to be a great sporting and social success with a number of teams already booked into the club’s camping and caravanning club for the week-end.

Drovers regulars such as Cerith Rees, Rob Walters and Adam Yelland have also formed teams of friends and acquaintances, some of whom have barely touched a rugby ball and the competition amongst the players promises to be keen.

"Tag Rugby Llandovery has been created to promote the game in Wales through this novel version and to provide participants with the pleasure of playing and the enjoyment of socialising with friends and the opposition" said prime motivator Davies. "Club Chairman Handel Davies and I were over in Ireland a week ago to watch the Pig and Porter Tag Festival in Limerick. The popularity of tag rugby was amazing with 120 teams of all ages and sizes plus 5,000 spectators having a great day out."

"Tag Rugby is fun, sociable and has mass appeal to everyone aged between 18 and 60 (and beyond!). Whether you are the fittest person in your gym, or someone who hasn’t played sport since school, Tag Rugby will suit one and all."

"People think that you need to have played rugby before to be any good at Tag Rugby. This is far from the case! The results of many surveys show that a large number of Tag players have never played rugby union."

Davies went on to explain that this is a friendly, sociable game, without physical contact of any kind and a game that allows anyone to play in single sex or mixed games.

Each team involved can enter a panel of 12 people, with seven players on the pitch at any time and the other five swapped in and out as required. In mixed teams there must be at least two female players on the pitch at all times.

Each player on the pitch must wear either a "tag belt" with "tags" attached, or "tag shorts", which have a velcro strip on each side, to which is attached a "tag". Pulling off one of these tags constitutes a "tackle". When a team has not scored and has been "tagged" five times, they must hand over the ball to the opposing team and the game recommences.

The game is played as in rugby – the ball is carried forward or passed (backwards, not forward) from player to player as they approach the opposing end-line. A "try" is scored by placing the ball behind the end-line of the opposing team.

Play will be continuous on two pitches from 11-00 am right through to the final at 6 00 pm.

Davies enthused about the fun aspect of the sport. "The whole emphasis in this festival is on enjoyment and meeting people. This is an ideal opportunity for pubs, clubs, businesses, etc. to get a team out and have some fun."

"It is still not too late to enter. There will be a range of prizes for winners, best male and female players, plenty of entertainment including the Free Beer group, beverage and food stands and stalls. We are expecting a big crowd.!"

Full news on the festival can be got on line at www.tagrugbyllandovery.co.uk