• • Facebook
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Stumble Upon
  • Furl

With Touch Rugby on the rise and one eye on the 2011 World Cup in Edinburgh, the Home Nations Championships this weekend offers an opportunity for players and nations to demonstrate their potential.

On Saturday the championships return to Scotland for the first time in four years, and at Hughenden Sports Ground teams from Scotland, England, Wales, Jersey and Ireland will be competing and looking to also get a timely boost ahead of next year’s European Championship.

The host nation will go into the tournament as reigning champions in the Mixed Open division, which they won at the 2007 Home Nations in Caerphilly, Wales. England will be defending their Men’s Open and Women’s Open titles from the same tournament.

Mike Abromowitz, the coaching director of England Touch until this year and will be playing for England in the men’s division, believes England can show what they are made of with future tournaments in mind.

“All three teams will obviously be looking to win their respective divisions, but the main aim of this tournament is to build for the European Championships to be held in Bristol next year, and then the World Cup to be held in Edinburgh in 2011.

“Personally I would like our teams to come away from this tournament with a good idea of what they need to secure their respective divisions at the next European Championships, and to win a gold medal in the men’s open here of course.”

Whilst England will be hoping to retain their titles, they will also use the tournament as a chance to include some younger players with a view to giving more experience and exposure of playing Touch at this level.

One notable youngster included is the talented Richard Eccles who has just completed his first year at Exeter University where he has shone.

His fledgling international career began last year when he was part of the winning England Men’s team at the European Championships, beating Wales in the final held in Paris in 2008. According to Abromowitz England are looking forward, with Eccles seen as an integral part of the future of Touch Rugby in England.

“Richard has a bright future if he continues on the path he has started on with his Touch career. He has come on very well over the past year or so and has that quality you can’t really teach – natural foot speed. With the right mentoring he has the ability to be a regular fixture in the Touch England squad for a long time to come.”

The Scottish Touch Association (STA), which hosted the 2005 Home Nations and 2006 European Championships in Edinburgh, will be holding this tournament in Glasgow and looking to use it as another platform before the World Cup and their president Peter Faassen de Heer added that Scotland were proud to host the event with the 2011 World Cup in mind.

“This tournament is the biggest challenge for our Open teams in the run-up to the European Championships next year, and also ahead of the 2011 World Cup that we are hosting in Edinburgh:” said Fassen de Heer.

“This is the highest quality of international touch you'll find anywhere in Europe this year, so it will be useful development for our players, referees, coaches and managers."