First-timers
A way to try rugby without committing to contact. The patterns and passing transfer straight across if you decide to roll into the senior squad in September.
Training Every Tuesday & Thursday at 6:30pm at the Brockton Oval (Men's & Women's team)
The format
Touch rugby keeps the bits of the game most people enjoy. You pass, you run, you score. Defenders stop play with a touch instead of a tackle. No scrums, no lineouts, no rucks. The fitness load is real, the skills carry across to full rugby, and nobody's getting hurt.
Sessions are mixed. Beginners and former players run together, with the pace adjusting to who's there. Most weeks finish at the clubhouse on Coal Harbour for whoever wants to stay.
A way to try rugby without committing to contact. The patterns and passing transfer straight across if you decide to roll into the senior squad in September.
Off-season fitness in a setting that's easy on the joints. People who've stepped away from full rugby keep showing up to touch because the run is still good.
Open to guests, so partners, mates from work, and visiting family can all play. Bring whoever you've been telling about the club.
The setting
Stanley Park, ocean on one side, the city behind. By the time touch wraps up the light is dropping and the patio at the clubhouse is open. There are worse Thursday evenings in Vancouver.
How to get to Brockton OvalCommon questions
Thursday evenings through the summer at Brockton Oval in Stanley Park. Sessions kick off at 6:30pm. The format and exact end date track the season, with details posted on the club's social channels.
Touch rugby is the no-contact version of the game. You stop a player with a touch instead of a tackle, no scrums, no rucking, no lineouts. The patterns, passing, and footwork are the same as full-contact rugby but the physical side is gone, which makes it accessible to more or less anyone.
No. Summer touch is open to members and guests. Bring a friend, a partner, a colleague who's been talking about it for years.
No. Most weeks include first-timers. The pace adjusts to who's there and the regulars walk new players through the format on the night.
It can be. People who play touch through the summer often roll into the senior squads when full rugby starts in September. There's no obligation either way, but the door is open.
The Mini and Youth program runs separately at Brockton Oval. Touch on Thursday evenings is mostly an adult session. If you're looking for kids' rugby, see /youth for age groupings and training times.
Want the start date?
Or follow VRC Rugby on the club's socials. Once the start date lands, just turn up at Brockton on a Thursday at 6:30pm.
Looking for full-contact rugby? Start with the 3rds or check the men's and women's sides.