Walking rugby is set to make a return at Ross Sutherland Rugby Club tomorrow.
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The Stags will be hosting their first session of the year on Saturday as they continue to ramp activity back up after lockdown.
This is the sixth week of Ross Sutherland’s touch rugby tournament, which was part of their desire to expand the rugby on offer in Invergordon.
Walking rugby is another of those initiatives designed to open up the sport, and the club, to all.
“It’s an accessible form of the game,” development officer John Mann said.
“Not everyone wants to, or can, play contact rugby. Not everyone can run around a pitch.
“We did walking rugby a couple of years ago now.
“It was for a mix of old fellas wanting to relive their glory days, and people who have always had an interest but weren’t that interested in the running side of it.
“It’s all about creating another avenue for people to get involved.
“It’s played on a condensed pitch with smaller numbers, but there are always ball-handling skills. There’s always questionable walking too, there are some fast walkers going about.
“It’s more about the social side again though, a bit of ball skill and then being able to have a bit of a yarn while you’re chucking a ball around.”
While walking rugby is generally associated with older players who might struggle with the physicality of full rugby, Mann is happy to keep it open to people of all ages and abilities.
“Quite a few clubs now have a walking rugby set up, and it seems to be varied around the country on whether it’s just for older people.
“That’s going to be your key age group, but if younger people want to play I don’t see any issue. As long as you don’t try and take over the game and enjoy it for what it is, I don’t think there should be an age limit.”
