World Rugby innovates. The governing body has announced the creation of a new sport. No less. Its name: T1 rugby. It is billed as “the world’s first non-contact sport that incorporates the unique characteristics of rugby, including scrums, touches and ground play.” The aim is to further boost the practice of the oval ball around the world, particularly among young people. According to World Rugby, T1 focuses on “fun, fitness and inclusion“. All the characteristics of rugby are included, such as touches, scrums, kicking and ground play, but without contact. T1 is played with seven players on a half-field, but the number of players and playing surface are adjustable. A pilot phase was carried out by World Rugby. Players were able to assimilate the rules in less than 20 minutes. The T1 Rugby was presented to the media during the 2023 World Cup in France. It will now be rolled out worldwide by member national federations. The project has been developed with the help of several of rugby’s major countries, including England, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as smaller nations such as Laos and Vietnam.
