Contact rugby has running, passing and scoring tries like all other formats of rugby and also includes tackles rucks and mauls. 

Age Grade Rugby ensures that every player is able to enjoy rugby in a safe environment where they can develop their personal and social skills as well as a wide array of transferable multi-sports skills. This results in their personal development as well as their lifelong involvement in rugby and other sports.  Age Grade Rugby is the game for all girls and boys aged 18 and younger in clubs, schools, colleges and within the representative pathway and it incorporates the rules of play, regulation, competition formats and the structure of the season.

• Contact rugby is introduced slowly from Under 9s in the age grade game to help young people understand the game while also making sure they learn the proper technique to approaching contact. As players get older, there will be a couple of differences to the game. Most noticeably, the number of people in a team will increase as will the number of laws (rules). 

• When players are in the age grade game, they stay in their age group until Under 11s. After this, the game switches to single gender from Under 12s to Under 18s. 

• Under 14s onwards can play 15-a-side, full contact rugby. ​​

• There are no mixed gender playing opportunities in contact rugby.

7-a-side contact rugby, also known as rugby sevens, is a fast-paced version of contact rugby where two teams of seven players compete on a standard-sized rugby field. 

The game is played with similar rules to 15-a-side rugby, including scrums, lineouts, and penalties.

There are lots of ways to play full contact rugby,: as a “pitch up and play” style event,  internal festivals or games against other institutions.  Check  with our network of college partners such as AoC Sport to see what’s available.