'Tag Rugby Where Everyone Plays Together, Beyond Winning or Losing': 1st OK National Tag Rugby Tournament to Be Held on November 14

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A national-scale tag rugby festival where people of all ages and genders can run together with an oval ball, free from the pressure of winning or losing, will be held in Incheon on November 14. By expanding participation to include not only elite athletes but also the general public, the event aims to lower the barrier to entry for rugby and broaden the base of recreational sports.

The Korea Tag Rugby Association announced on the 16th that it will hold the "1st OK National Tag Rugby Tournament" at the Namdong Asiad Rugby Stadium in Incheon on November 14.

This tournament is the first national event to be independently hosted and organized by the Korea Tag Rugby Association since its establishment, with sponsorship from OK Financial Group. The most notable feature is the scope of participation. The competition is divided into three categories: U-12 (elementary school), U-15 (middle school), and OPEN (high school students to adults), with separate men's and women's divisions for each category. It is the first time since the association's launch that participants from all age groups, ranging from elementary school students to middle and high school students and adults, are competing in a single tournament.

While the "1st Kumdori National Tag Rugby Tournament," co-hosted with the Daejeon City Rugby Association in July, was centered on student athletes, this event has broadened its scope to include adults. The intent is to allow diverse participants, regardless of age, gender, or nationality, to enjoy tag rugby together in one place.

Tag rugby is a modified sport that maintains the basic movements, passing, and collaborative values of rugby while significantly reducing the burden associated with physical contact. Instead of directly tackling opponents, players defend by removing tags attached to their opponents' waists, allowing even those new to rugby to participate relatively easily.

Recently, tag rugby has been utilized in South Korea as a sport that lowers the barrier between elite athletes and general students. At the Youth Sports Festival Tag Rugby Tournament organized by the Korea Rugby Association in August, student athletes and general students formed teams together, with approximately 200 people from 26 teams participating. A strength of tag rugby is also cited as the ability to experience not just learning rugby skills, but also the values of patience and collaboration.

OK Financial Group has also been consistently supporting youth rugby development and expanding its base recently. In August this year, it held the "3rd OK U-Man Rugby Academy," which was attended by approximately 150 people, including participants from 11 middle schools and sports clubs in South Korea and the Dubai Tigers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The focus was on conveying not only technical training but also rugby's spirit of collaboration and sacrifice, as well as the "No-Side" spirit of respecting opponents after a match. OK Financial Group has also been involved in the establishment of the Korea Tag Rugby Association to expand the base of school sports.

This national tournament also aims for "sports for enjoyment," where all participants run and mingle together, rather than focusing solely on rankings and winning or losing. The tournament is planned to be structured so that participants can naturally experience the competitive fun of rugby along with the values of respecting opponents and sacrificing for teammates.

Entertainment beyond the matches will also be provided. Sponsors include OK Financial Group, Hummel, Dong-A Otsuka, Daesang Well Life, Cellavi, Mediheal, and Bodyfriend, who are preparing various prizes and gifts for participants. By adding programs that can be enjoyed both inside and outside the stadium, the plan is to create a rugby festival that goes beyond a simple national tournament.

Registration is available through the Korea Tag Rugby Association's website until November 1. The participation fee, which covers association membership, is 100,000 won per team. Eligibility criteria and detailed match operation methods can be found in the tournament guidelines posted on the website.

Starting with this first tournament, the association plans to continuously expand the participating regions, age groups, and number of teams, aiming to grow the OK National Tag Rugby Tournament into a representative tag rugby festival in South Korea.

A representative from the Korea Tag Rugby Association stated, "We hope this tournament will be a festival where everyone from elementary school students to adults can run, mingle, and share the joy of tag rugby, regardless of winning or losing," adding, "We will strive to ensure that rugby values such as the spirit of sacrifice and the No-Side spirit are naturally realized, allowing more people to approach rugby easily and comfortably."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original