QUEANBEYAN will play host to the new non-contact rugby sevens format of junior rugby union from February next year, as the Australian Rugby Union looks to boost participation at the grass roots level.
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The new format of rugby union will be targeted at junior players, but will be open to any member of the community wishing to play rugby union without physical contact of tackling.
The rules of the new format will be largely the same as contact rugby sevens, but with with 'touching' tackles as opposed to arm grapples.
Seven players take to each side and play seven minute halves, while tries are worth one point, and there are no conversions.
Once a player is "touched", they have two seconds to either pass the ball to a team mate, or place the ball on the ground for a team mate to collect the ball and continue play.
Each team gets seven "touches" before turning the ball over to the opposition, while a player who is touched can not take more than two steps forward before either passing or placing the ball.
Rugby Sevens has produced numerous rugby stars from the Queanbeyan region, including women's player Nikki Stanley, as well as Australian men's player Lewis Holland and ACT Brumbies' winger Robbie Coleman.
Holland said the non-contact concept was a great initiative to boost rugby participation in the region.
"Whether you just want to run a round or take things seriously, non-contact sevens will give people of any standard the opportunity to play," Holland said.
"We had a trial at our national training base in Narrabeen, Sydney the other month, and it was fun, fast and furious."
ARU CEO Bill Pulver said in a statement the format was created in response to a study that showed Australians wanted to play sport in a more friendly manner.
"The Australian Sports Commission's research highlighted a trend in sports participants wanting to take part in sport and recreation that is flexible and fits around their busy schedule," Pulver said.
Venues and exact dates for the sport in Queanbeyan are yet to be announced.