Sign up for touch

This year Waiheke Touch at the sports club is being run by some new faces while previous organisers, John and Doris Ranfurly, take a well earned break.

Stacey Harris, Tamati Keremete, Trish Hadfield, Trisha Pulham, and Ed and Kel Douglas are taking on the challenge and hope to see some new faces and bodies running around the field.

There will be two separate sections — social and competitive. Teams can register up to 12 players with six players per team on the field. Substitutions can be made at any time during the game.

In the social grade there needs to be a mix of three women and three men on the field, and the competitive section will be two women and four men.

Teams may choose to pursue their own sponsors to cover team fees and uniforms, or pay themselves. Either way, the season is going to be longer than in the past, playing 10 weeks prior to Christmas and seven weeks after, with teams playing three full rounds of touch.

Coaching tips will be on offer during “run arounds” on Sunday afternoons closer to the season starting, to encourage new teams to take part. On registration, team managers will also be given a copy of the rules.

As well as the senior module, the popular Junior Touch will run in school terms four and one. This is for boys and girls 5-15 years of age. The juniors will also play on a Thursdays, from 4.30-5.30pm.

“You need not have played touch before. You need not necessarily regard yourself as a ‘sporty’ person. Touch is a game for everyone,” says coordinator Trish Hadfield.

“The social aspect of the game is another draw card because husbands, wives, children, partners, work colleagues can all make up a team together.”

Watch the Waiheke Marketplace for details of upcoming registration, or for information for seniors contact Trish Hadfield on 372 3628 or 0276614118, and for juniors phone Trisha Pulham 372 2959.

- Waiheke Marketplace