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Walking Rugby

What is walking rugby?
Who can join in?
When is it?
Interested?
Our 3 aims
Our 3 aims are for the sessions to be:
- No running! – walking is determined by one foot on the ground at any time when in motion. Players must not run or jog while the game is in action.
- No contact! – similar to ‘touch rugby’ rules – two hands (shoulders down to shorts, including arms) is all the contact made which qualifies as a tackle. The tackled player must pass the ball, within one pace from the spot they were tackled, without delay.
- No Mauls, Rucks or Lineouts, but there are Scrums! – 2 closest players to an infringement form the front row. Next closest player is scrum half. Scrummagers will be stood in upright standing position and non-contested.
- Scoring – A try requires no bending – you walk across the try line, ball in hand and both feet over the try line.
- Knock-on – if the ball is knocked forward and hits another player or the ground. A deliberate knock on is a penalty.
- Turnover, Penalty or other in-field re-start – The player re-starting must tap the ball with foot or knee and may then walk or pass, on-side defenders may advance.
- Time – The game is split into four 5 minute (or longer by agreement) quarters, 2 minute breaks for rehydration between each quarter.
- Teams sizes – Up to 7 players a side, with rolling substitutes.
- Passing – The ball must be passed backwards or transverse (not forward).
- Drop ball – Turnover if the ball hits the ground going backwards.
- In Touch – If the ball goes in to touch, the other side re-start with a pass from the point where the ball crossed the touch line.
- Defending – The defence must not interfere with the first pass following a tackle.
With the advent of national leagues in 1987, we were placed in Gloucester 2. 2001-2 saw us blunder into Gloucester 3 by having 2 points deducted and coming third from bottom, but we bounced straight back again , winning all our league matches. In 2004-5 we came second with promotion to Gloucester 1. This did not go well. We would have been relegated but for a re-organisation of the leagues, and we did get relegated in 2006-7. Our response was to win the League and move back into Gloucester 1, where we are now working hard towards further promotion.
In the 2010/2011 season Cheltenham Civil Service RFC added a women’s section to the club, during which friendly matches were played. At the end of a very successful season the women also reached the criteria required by the RFU to enter the official RFU leagues in the 2011/12 season.