Ｔｏｕｃｈ Ｒｕｇｂｙ ｉｎ Ｂｅｉｊｉｎｇ

ＤＯＮＧ　ＮＩＮＧ

CRIES of “Touch!” and “Roll ball!” emit from green-clad Beijing Zhongkui Rugby Club players as they practice ball-passing in the playground of a school in northern Beijing. Club members meet weeklyto practice touch rugby, Chinas latest sporting craze.

There are five or six other touch rugby clubs in the capital in addition to Zhongkui. They include the Beijing Devils, ANZAC and WAB. Women also enjoy this minimal contact sport, as it poses fewer risks of injury and calls for subtle tactics.

Club members are agreed that Sunday, when they get together and play, is the best day of the week. The Zhongkui Club was founded by 28-year-old Qiu Binbin, former captain of the China Rugby Youth Team. The club membership comprises a dynamic group of people from various backgrounds, including Chinese and foreign employees of transnational companies, professionals and college students. Qiu puts them all through their paces each week.

The players sweat, blood, aches and pains paid off in November 2007, when the club team won the Open Group championship at the Shanghai International Touch Tournament.

Players are agreed that the physical and mental strength they gain from playing, and the new friends they meet, make Touch Rugby a truly rewarding pastime.