Mark Gasnier introduces Wagga juniors to new non-contact tri tag rugby

The ex-NRL and French rugby union player is hoping to bring more people into rugby union clubs with a new, modified format.

Tri tag rugby aims to build transferable rugby skills for players who want to enjoy a social rugby format, and those who are after a transition into the contact game.

Hosting come and try sessions in Wagga on Sunday, Gasnier said the format is still in the early stages, but he's hopeful it will go far in future proofing the sport.

"I started this non-contact game over two and a half years ago, trialling the different things, the uniforms and everything, and then in the last three months I've signed on with Rugby Australia to roll it out nationally and have it adopted it as their official non contact game," Gasnier said.

"Now it's a matter of getting in front of all the clubs, explaining how it fits into the overall kind of community strategy, and that there'll be a non-contact pathway alongside the contact pathway.

"We don't want to limit the opportunity for participants to join a rugby club just because they don't like contact."

With an emphasis on keeping the non-contact and contact formats as similar as possible, Gasnier said players can transition from one to the other easily.

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Players play with three tags around their hips which help simulate a tackle, meanwhile the game is played across half a field, with eight players on each side.

Unlike some other non-contact or modified sport formats, Gasnier said the aim of tri tag is for players to have near-entirely transferable skills and understanding of rules.

"We want to create game-based scenarios that would be in the contact format, so that you can teach the right habits and instincts for kids when they play, and then eventually when a kid has more confidence, if and when they want it, they can jump into the contact and not worry about rules and all those instincts and things that make players really good," he said.

Running several sessions throughout the Southern Inland Rugby Union junior 7s gala day on Sunday, Gasnier said participants were providing overwhelmingly positive feedback.

"We had a bunch of girls earlier who were really good, they just picked it up straight away, which is what you want to see," he said.

"I get a kick out of seeing that, when they pick it up straight away, and they are having so much fun, generally the indication is that if they don't want to come off the field, you know they're enjoying it."

Hoping the new format will open rugby to new audiences, he said the tri tag game is perfect for younger and older players, and has already been run successfully as a spring-summer competition in Sydney.

"People have to realise with the traditional codes, we assume that everyone wants to go on that traditional pathway and everyone's aspirational, when in reality, it's a really small minority and we kind of cater to that probably neglecting the other side of it to a certain extent.

"I think there's more of an awareness now to say, hold on, people do just want to come down and have a little run around and they might want to work up a sweat.

"I think it's trying to cater for that whole aspect but instead of separating it, we integrate it into the one community club, so you're not going out and trying to build new resources, you've got all club facilities, everything's there, so it's just integrating into that and trying to give the broader community more options."

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