RFU Taps Fitness Market With O2 Touch

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is reaching out to the burgeoning fitness community in a bid to drive grassroots rugby growth through its O2 Touch initiative.

English rugby’s governing body has teamed up with fitness influencers including Ben Coomber, Olivia Cox and Charlotte Holmes to showcase the health and fitness benefits of the game.

As part of the push, an event in London saw England Sevens star Garnet Mackinder demonstrate the O2 Touch programme, described as a “fun and friendly social fitness workout, with music.”

The format, which particularly targets the 18-30 demographic, has been analysed for its cardio benefits by experts at STATSports, who concluded that players burn an average 500 calories per session.

Liam Blundell, a sports scientist at STATSports, explained: “From a fitness perspective, O2 Touch is comparable to a high intensity workout in the gym, but a lot more fun and you’re playing touch rugby, so it’s a lot less perceived effort.”

O2 Touch, which is coordinated with O2, has been developed a central plank of the RFU’s Strategic Plan and its partnership with Sport England to develop the grassroots game.

The format aims to break down common barriers to participation, by creating an offering that is easily accessible, played to music and focused on the social and fitness elements of the sport.

It follows a study by O2 Touch and Brunel University, which emphasised the important role of music in people’s enjoyment of the game.

Dr Costas Karageorghis, who led the study, explained: “We saw a significant increase, particularly in female enjoyment of O2 Touch, when music was played. It was clear participants loved the social aspect of O2 Touch and how it brings males and females together, and how the music creates a whole social environment.”

The RFU claims that 25,000 people are already playing touch rugby regularly. O2 Touch is designed to further grow participation, incorporating both “pitch up and play” sessions and structured leagues.

To support the initiative, the governining body and its partners have developed an O2 Touch app that rewards players for participating in sessions, with prizes ranging from merchandise to tickets for O2 events.

Steve Grainger, RFU rugby development director commented: “O2 Touch has been one of the RFU’s top performing participation programmes, particularly amongst the 18-30s audience.

“O2 Touch benefitted from the Rugby World Cup 2015 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2017, to continue the legacy and grow participation, particularly among women.”

Gareth Griffiths, head of sponsorship at O2, added: “O2 Touch goes from strength to strength, surpassing milestones and beating all targets we set.

“We’re delighted with the amount of people actively playing the sport across the country, something we set out to achieve with our partner the RFU as part of our Wear the Rose campaign in 2015.

“We have a long-standing ambition to support grassroots rugby and local communities, O2 Touch is certainly doing that.”