Touch Rugby League will be back bigger and better than ever before in 2024 following impressive growth for the Rugby Football League’s (RFL) social variant last year.
Premier Touch Rugby League (PTRL) will celebrate two events this summer – a qualifying tournament in June before Finals Day on August Bank Holiday.
The Allam Sports Centre in Hull will host the PTRL qualifying event on Saturday 22 June with eight teams set to compete in a round robin tournament to determine who they face on Finals Day.
That showcase event returns to Robin Park Arena in Wigan on Sunday 25 August with two titles up for grabs – the Trophy and the Cup. The top four qualifiers from the event in Hull will play each other in the Cup with those remaining playing in a four team Trophy competition.
Any foundation wishing to compete in PTRL events must be delivering the Foundation Touch Series (FTS) which was introduced in 2023 to give pro’ clubs the flexibility to provide different levels of activity to help players aged 14 and over improve their skills and confidence in a social setting.
Activity is currently being delivered over a five-year period with support from the RFL in the form of weekly sessions across a 24-week period or leagues a minimum of eight weeks long.
RFL Social Officer, Bradley Kelk, explains:
“Our inaugural PTRL event in Wigan last July was a massive success and following the feedback from players and coaches we’ve decided to introduce a qualifying tournament this year to give foundations another opportunity to compete at the elite level.
“PTRL wouldn’t be possible without the Foundation Touch Series, and I’m pleased to say that we had 1000 participants engaged in the programme last year. Our aim is to create a sustainable playing model by supporting club foundations to deliver weekly sessions, which will hopefully lead to the formation of teams and local leagues - I think these numbers show we’re already off to a great start.”
St Helens forward, Chantelle Crowl, adds:
“Touch Rugby League had a massive influence on me when I was growing up and it’s played a large part in me getting to where I am today. I loved attending Finals Day last year - the quality and skill on show was brilliant so I’m very much looking forward to being there again in August.”
Much like last year, PTRL Finals Day will be the showcase event in the Touch Rugby League calendar in 2024. More information about Touch Rugby League can be found here.
