Credit: RCL
Touch Luxembourg, the national governing body for touch rugby in Luxembourg has announced that Luxembourg's two touch rugby clubs celebrated the end of a World Cup in Nottingham, UK, where 3500 players from over 39 countries across thirteen age categories, together with 200 referees over seven days of competition, made this the “biggest Touch festival ever”.
The Luxembourg flag also flew “proudly” above the players' village, Touch Luxembourg noted. For the country with by far the smallest playing pool in the competition, the fact that it was competing against the world’s best touch rugby players was in itself a great success, Touch Luxembourg added.
“When you play against world-class amateur athletes from major Touch nations such as Australia, New Zealand, England realistically your success is not in terms of wins, but in all those 1% actions and decisions you get right under pressure,” said Luxembourg’s head coach Nick Matenga.
According to the national governing body for touch rugby, the Luxembourg Men’s team prepared thoroughly for the occasion. They followed an “elite-level” training programme prepared by their coach and implemented by two team managers, they went through six weekend training camps, executed a four-month fitness programme and played in warm-up competitions in Europe. Expert input on nutrition and conditioning from their partner LUNEX University (a Luxembourg university for sports, health and management) as well as support from top Luxembourg physiotherapists made this a markedly professional campaign for such a small federation.
On the pitch, Luxembourg’s team reportedly gave Ireland a first-half fright, scored three against England (the semi-finalists) and managed a score against the World Cup champions, Australia. Unfortunately, the team missed out on tight games against tier 2 nations such as Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, Spain and Hong Kong, China. However, the team scored more touchdowns than in any previous competition within a qualifying pool containing four of the strongest nations in the championships. Luxembourg's team noted it experienced first-hand that a World Cup is different from any other competitive environment in that the level of intensity, focus and physicality is at a much higher level.
If it is to progress at an elite level, Touch Rugby Luxembourg will need to work with local schools and juniors to increase its playing base, Touch Luxembourg noted. With participation at this World Cup doubling to 3,500 players, the tournament highlighted why touch rugby is one of the fastest-growing sports and the most inclusive mass-participation team sport played at the international level. Men, women and mixed teams create a unique playing environment and a set of values and culture where a community of men, women, boys and girls can be active in life from the age of seven to seventy-plus years.
