SOME of the top names in Irish and international rugby will converge on Limerick in October for the Limerick Civic Trust Legends International Tag Rugby Festival, which takes place at the University Arena.
Among the past and present players involved in the festival, which takes place on October 25 and 26, are Irish legends Keith Wood, Peter Clohessy and David Walace, women’s Grand Slam winner Joy Neville, England’s Jason Leonard and former French internationals William Servat and Emile Ntamack.
The tournament will feature 25 mixed tag rugby teams from across Ireland and overseas, each of which will include a rugby legend, who will be allocated to teams based on a World Cup-styled draw taking place on the evening before the tournament begins.
The festival is being organised by Limerick Civic Trust and supported by the Irish Tag Rugby Association (ITRA), UL, Clohessy’s Bar and The Gathering Limerick. Funds raised by the event will go towards Limerick Civic Trust projects including a proposed permanent memorial to former Limerick sports men and women.
Dr James Ring, CEO of the Limerick Civic Trust, said: “The International Tag Rugby Festival has been months in the planning and we are delighted to be able to finally announce the event, which forms part of the year of The Gathering as well as being an important fundraiser for the Trust. We have received huge support from some of rugby’s biggest names and look forward to inviting tag rugby enthusiasts to tag a legend this October.”
Simon Bewley, Director of ITRA, added: “The ITRA, who founded and pioneered tag in Ireland 14 years ago, are very excited about this new International Legends Tag Festival being hosted in Limerick. It is innovative and players will get the opportunity to not only meet their rugby legends, but actually play shoulder to shoulder both with and against their former heroes on the tag pitch. Equally the legends will be able to squeeze into a pair of rag shorts and see if they still have it! A great weekend of sport awaits.”
