RCL Lightning to Host 1st Leg of 2024/25 Belgian National Touch Rugby Championships

RCL Lightning, the touch rugby section of Rugby Club Luxembourg (RCL), has announced that it is hosting the first leg of the 2024/25 Belgian National Touch Championships at the Boy Konen sports ground in Luxembourg-Cessange on Sunday 20 October 2024.

This event marks the beginning of a six-leg competition, which will culminate in finals playoffs next May to determine final placings and crown the overall champion.

As RCL Lightning explained, touch rugby is a fully mixed-gender sport, with men and women competing together on an equal footing. This inclusive and fast-paced sport showcases teamwork and athleticism, with both genders contributing equally on the field. Touch Luxembourg, the national governing body for touch rugby, aims to make the sport the number one mixed team sport in Luxembourg, and this tournament is considered a key event in promoting that goal.

With over 20 teams expected to participate and nearly 300 athletes taking part throughout the day, this promises to be "a thrilling display" of one of the fastest-growing mixed-gender sports in the region.

The tournament will run from 09:00 to 18:00, and will be divided into two divisions:

- Development Division (09:00-12:00): focused on teams new to touch rugby, this division promotes growth and development of the sport. A highlight will be the participation of Terres Rouges Touch, Luxembourg's newest touch rugby club based in Dudelange, which will compete for the first time in this division;

- Championship Division (13:00-18:00): featuring elite teams, including RCL Lightning, this division will showcase the highest level of touch rugby in Belgium and Luxembourg.

RCL Lightning has been a consistent participant in the league for several years, competing in the Championship Division. The Belgian National Touch Championships consist of six tournament legs, hosted in various locations throughout the season, and culminate in a finals playoff in May 2025.

Dan Fahy, Director of Touch at RCL Lightning, commented on the significance of this event: "This tournament represents the culmination of many years of hard work in building awareness, interest and performance capacity in the sport of touch rugby here in Luxembourg. We're grateful for the ongoing support from Touch Luxembourg in helping us grow the sport, and we'd like to extend a special thanks to Touch Belgium for trusting us to be part of their top-tier competition. Hosting this leg of the Belgian National Championships is a testament to how far we've come, and we're excited to welcome teams from across the region to Boy Konen."

Dan also expressed his gratitude to RCL: "We couldn't have reached this point without the support of Rugby Club Luxembourg, which has nurtured the touch rugby section and granted us the space and time to be a part of the bigger rugby family. Their commitment to the development of touch rugby has been invaluable."

To find out more about touch rugby, contact RCL Lighting via email info@rcl.lu.