Touch rugby refers to games derived from rugby league in which players do not tackle each other but instead touch their opponents using their hands on any part of the body, clothing, or the ball.
A formal, competitive variety, known as Touch, developed from rugby league and now exists as a sport in its own right. In addition, touch rugby games are played as training activities for rugby league and rugby union; as safer variants of rugby, particularly in schools and junior clubs, and as an informal social sport.
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Touch rugby has a number of differences from the traditional games, including its simplicity (it requires very little equipment or goalposts), its ease of learning, and the decreased likelihood of injury. As a result, it is a popular social game; mixed-gender and women-only games are also very popular in the UK, where touch rugby is played in many popular centres around England and Scotland. Touch Rugby League is a growing competition in Australia. Touch rugby is also gaining popularity in the United States. The USA Touch association hosts an annual national championship. In 2019, 27 clubs from cities across the USA registered teams into six competitive divisions. The sport is known as "Touch" in many parts of the world.
Beach touch is also popular. Social touch games in South Africa are played barefoot, while 1-touch or six down is played with cleats that have no more than 10 studs on each foot.
Since 1988, the Federation of International Touch has organized nine World Cup championships. Typically, Australia and New Zealand have dominated as champions and runner-ups in each of the now 11 competitive divisions. Every four years, a member country is selected to host the tournament. In 2019, the World Cup was hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and welcomed 28 participating nations. The 2024 FIT World Cup was hosted in Nottingham, England at the University of Nottingham. The 2024 FIT World Cup had 4,000 players from 39 nations competing in 187 teams across 13 categories. The 2028 FIT World Cup host country is New Zealand.
