What an amazing day it was on Saturday. Blue skies, 30 degrees + NOT humid…. a great day for touch! The turn out was healthy with lots of subsitutions going on which was sensible. In this sort of weather avoiding heat exhaustion and dehydration is of utmost importance.

There has been a lot of talk about getting a competition or round robin going of some sort but currently it’s more talk than action. Hopefully something will be up and running before the end of the year.

Tips for Beginners - Attack
When attacking, controlling possession of the ball is the most important thing. One of the most common errors in beginners is to throw the ball away when you are about to be touched. Don’t worry - you have six touches to get that score! Try to concentrate more on making a fast play of the ball, rather than worrying about passing when being touched.
(more…)

Word around town has it that there is a rugby 7’s mini competition in September sometime and a Shanghai touch tournament in November.

So get to it boys and girls. Increase your fitness, read up on some strategies, and most importantly, practise!

With heavy rain falling during the last few days, and throughout the week for that matter, the pitch was a tad bit soggy. It was humid, 30+ deg C, and with lots of lingering dragonflies.

With most of the touch guys back from the Singapore competition the talent pool and skill level was bumped up a few notches. A wet ball, soggy paddock, and passing no less than 5 times before the first touch, it was probably a day to just sit and watch. (Waiting for the All Blacks - South Africa Tri nations test).

Speaking of the Tri Nations, the All Blacks cleaned up with a 35-17 win in what was a good, but not really exciting game at the Cake Tin in Wellington, New Zealand. That is 2 from 2 for the AB’s as they travel to take on Australia next weekend. They say the secret to winning the Tri Nations is winning away from home. It has proved true so far with all the teams playing at home having notched up wins.

It’s the kind of weather everyone knows is coming, everyone is prepared for, but not until you experience it do you know what it really feels like. Expect a little drizzle and lots of dragonflies about. Becareful not to swallow any!

They say a dragonfly’s presence indicates rain. There have been hundreds flying around at the ground in the past month during the rainy season so they are not far wrong.