Bumper season of touch in store

Anticipation and optimism is sky high as Marlborough’s 2021-22 touch season prepares to get underway.

The season begins next week with a skills sessions programme for the region’s youngest touch players (year 3/4) at Lansdowne Park. Able to proceed under COVID alert level 2 conditions, this programme is designed to give the youngest players the skills to take into their school teams so that they start the season knowing the basics.

Term four heralds the start of the popular primary schools competition. It caters for children of all abilities, offering a grade for everyone from the most competitive to the social or small school grade.

College touch, which begins in term four on Wednesday afternoons, is about keeping this age group engaged and playing sport. Teams are entered from Marlborough Boys’ and Girls’ Colleges plus Queen Charlotte College.

The highly-popular senior module will commence in late October with Wednesday being the night for mixed touch and Thursday for the men’s and women’s grades. This suits all levels, from grade 1 where current New Zealand players take the field to men's social which is aimed at men over the age of 40.

A new development in the module scene is the setting up of two touch clubs. Vipers were formed last year and now 7201 has set up as a club. Both clubs will have the full complement of men's, women's and mixed teams.

Individuals who want to be placed in a team can contact seniormodule@marlbtouch.nz

Meanwhile, on a representative side, players and administrators are hoping for a COVID-free season.

The season’s first rep event is a development tournament for 10 to 14-year-olds tournament in November in Nelson.

Marlborough Touch junior co-ordinator Anne Taylor says, “This tournament fits nicely into the ‘balance is better’ philosophy as Marlborough Touch tries to take all players who turn up for the Extender series”.

“We encourage parents to step up and take these teams so that all children get a chance to head to a tournament.

“Tournament touch is very special and the children love playing four games in a day and also the social side of being part of a team.”

From this tournament four teams will be selected to go to Christchurch for the Te Wai Pounamu Tournament in December.

“The emphasis here for the Under-12s is about participation and gaining some touch-specific coaching, whereas for the Under-14s it is becoming more competitive,” explained Anne.

December will also see teams from MGC and MBC attend the secondary schools nationals in Rotorua, which have been moved due to the change of NCEA dates.

In the new year, Under-16 and Under-18 mixed teams go to Christchurch for the junior nationals, where players can gain New Zealand selection or be invited to trial. Serena MacDougall and Courtney Taufa will again coach these teams with the help of Todd Nicholas.

The season’s final tournament is the senior nationals in Palmerston North where Marlborough Touch plan to field Under-21 and Opens teams after missing out last year due to COVID.

Also on the agenda next year is the annual Trans-Tasman Series which will involve two Marlborough players. Stormy Tupara is in the NZ Under-18 Mixed team and Hugh Robinson will play for the NZ Under-16 Mixed combination.

Anne said touch was a growth sport in New Zealand with increasing participation across all age groups.

She suggested that the governance and vision of Touch New Zealand was beginning to have a huge impact in Marlborough.

“The growth in the women’s game has been massive over the past few years and having role models such as Niall Williams playing for the Touch Blacks and Sevens team allows players to see pathways to higher honours.

“Touch NZ has recently appointed Bruce Morton as the Te Wai Pounamu Manager which will see a strengthening of governance and strategic development in the South Island.

“I look forward to working with Bruce to move Marlborough Touch from being dependent on hard-working volunteers to being an organisation with paid employees.

“That way we will be able to expand and introduce more programmes such as Turbo Touch (indoors) and Beach Touch. As we are currently all volunteers with fulltime jobs we don't have the capacity to do any more than we currently do,” Anne added.