Danny Care put through paces at O2 Touch session

The England Rugby star joins O2 Touch skills and drills session ahead of the upcoming New Zealand tour

Yesterday at London’s Old Alleynian RFC in Dulwich, England and Harlequins Scrum-half Danny Care surprised a group of O2 Touch players who were taking part in their weekly Tuesday session, by unexpectedly turning up and hosting a drills and skills session. The England player, one of the stars of the recent RBS 6 Nations, was there to reward regular O2 Touch devotees and give a taster for new players to show them how the summer O2 Touch sessions will run.

Delighted O2 Touch players were greeted by Care, who was on hand ahead of the upcoming England tour to New Zealand, to demonstrate the numerous fitness and social benefits associated with O2 Touch; whether you’re old or young, male or female, a beginner or even a pro!

England Scrum-half, Danny Care said, “Touch rugby forms an important part of my training regimes; be that with the boys at Quins or during England camps, where we use it to warm up or to sharpen our skills. But you don’t have to be a professional to get involved. It’s genuinely a great way to improve your fitness and have some fun – whatever your age, shape, size or ability.

“Especially in the summer, it’s a great way of getting friends together who may not have had any experience playing rugby, to get outside and socialise in the sun while also getting that exercise kick. I’d definitely encourage people to go along to their nearest centre and give O2 Touch a go”

To demonstrate the fitness benefits of O2 Touch the International Sports Performance and Analysis Company, PGIR was commissioned by O2 and England Rugby to conduct a research survey at O2 Touch centres across the country. The preliminary results have shown that in an hour session of O2 Touch participants can lose over 400 calories, providing participants with the perfect combination of getting fit and having fun the process. With players covering distances of around 4 miles and reaching average speeds of over 12mph, new joiners can all expect to benefit for the sessions whatever age, gender or fitness level you’re at.

Ed Curran, O2 Touch Operations Manager, RFU said:

“Broadening the reach and appeal of rugby through O2 Touch is one of our key areas to create a lasting legacy for the sport beyond the World Cup next year. Touch is one of the most inclusive sports available and the rules are simple. It is a non-contact form of rugby which means there is no tackling and no scrums or line-outs. It’s a great way for people new to rugby to get involved in the game – you can get fit, hone your skills and meet lots of new, like-minded people.”

O2 Touch is a nationwide touch rugby programme run by England Rugby in partnership with O2 to encourage people to get fit and have fun through rugby. Current or aspiring players can either enter a team into an O2 TouchLeague or join sessions individually at a local O2 Touch Centre.

There are currently just under 14,000 registered O2 Touch players at centres located across the nation. There are over 200 established O2 Touch Centres with 38 recently launched in February and 50 due to launch in September this year.

To find out where you can play near you, check out the new O2 Touch website at www.rfu.com/o2touch