Coach's Corner
Samuel Thompson is a fourth-year student in Medicine at New College. Samuel was named 2025 Student Coach of the Year at Oxford University Sport Awards. He has been an active member of the club since 2022 and will be coaching our Mixed 1s (Blues) and Mixed 2s (Orcas) this year.
Touch is a beautifully simple sport: score without being touched. But if you're new to our game, or are simply looking to improve, here's a few resources to help!
01
Spend some time looking at the skills you'll use every time you step on the touch pitch. If you get the small details right, the rest of the game comes easy.
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The pill: a thing of beauty. But wonder-passes can only get us so far if we can't execute attack as a team. Here are some tools for reviewing our attacking platforms.
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The best form of attack? Defence! Here you'll find some explanations of policies and terms we use in defense to form our dark-blue wall.
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The best way to improve your game is to simply watch some Touch! Some classic matches from recent years are collected here for you to get started with.
About the Sport
Touch, also known as Touch Football, Touch Footy, or Touch Rugby around the world, is a sport that allows people from all walks of life to be a part of an inclusive community and compete either locally or at the highest international level.
Touch is a non-contact form of rugby that originated in Australia. It is one of the fastest growing sports in the United Kingdom and around the world. Touch is one of those rare sports where people of all genders and ages can get together to compete amongst one another. In touch, the main excelling factor is each athlete’s drive to learn and improve their game!
The Rules. A full mixed game is usually 40 minutes, comprising of two 20 minute halves. There are a total of six players on a side--a minimum of one woman and no more than three men. The ball must be passed backwards, and the attacking team aims to create scoring opportunities by passing, running, and using platforms to advance towards the opponent's try line. After each touch, the player in possession must place it on the ground and step over the ball; what is called a "roll ball." The defending team's objective is to protect their try line by touching the attacking players with minimum force. After each touch, every player in the defence must retreat 7 metres from the touch. It is a fast-paced, dynamic, and inclusive sport, which promotes skills development and teamwork!
