Intro
Sunday (2nd March) sees the opening training session of the season for Rochdales newest Rugby League side, The Rochdale Swarm Tag Rugby League Team. The training session starts at 12 noon at Firgrove Playing Fields, Milnrow.
The Swarm came together when the Rochdale Rugby League Development Officer, Mat Gartland, ran a summer "touch rugby" competition. A group of Rochdale Hornets supporters got together and entered a team in the comp. Those who took part really enjoyed the experience and in October of last year they then entered a "Tag Rugby League" tournament for various supporters teams in Featherstone.
Again it was deemed a great success and on the back of that it was decided the team would enter the newly inaugurated 2008 Tag Merit League.
Tag Rugby League is a minimal contact variation of the normal game of Rugby League. A tackle is affected by removing a Velcro tag from the player in possession rather than a full blooded tackle. This allows people to play Rugby League who may not be able to due to the heavy physical nature of the full contact game. It also allows for teams to be of mixed sex and various ages (the Swarm has men and women players from the mid teens to late 40`s!!).
Up until this point the team had just played under the Rochdale Hornets Supporters title but it was decided that they needed a new name to encourage people who may not be Hornets fans to come down to try their hand at Tag Rugby League. After a unanimous vote the name The Rochdale Swarm was adopted, it showed the link to Hornets and its supporters group the Nest Egg but also to be open to new players.
At the end of January The Swarm were then officially welcomed into the "Scrum Down Under" Sponsored Tag Merit League along with teams from
Along side games against other League opponents the Swarm are currently arranging games against other guest sides, including The Rochdale Fijian Association and are also looking at playing Ikram Butts, British Asian Rugby Association XIII.
The Swarms opening fixture in the Scrum Down Under Tag Merit League is away against the FevNet Rovers C.R.L of Featherstone on Saturday the 15th of March with a 2.30pm kick off.
If anyone fancys getting involved with the Swarm as a player, volunteer or just needs more information contact the Swarms Secretary, Maria Wynn on 07879 028 345 or email her at maria.wynn@ntlworld.com or better still come to training on Sunday 2nd March at 12noon, Firgrove, Milnrow.