THE first tag rugby World Cup to be held in the northern hemisphere will kick-off in Limerick next August
2,000 tag rugby players and their entourage from 20 nations descend on the University of Limerick campus for the four-day event which gets under way on August 2.
The international tournament is expected to be worth up to €5 million to the local economy as bank holiday visitor numbers will be boosted by supporters from all over Ireland and abroad coming to see the world’s best tag players in action.
Around 360 matches will be played between Wednesday and Saturday, August 5.
Tournament Director Peadar Niland said the facilities at UL mean that this will be the first World Cup to have a ‘Tag Village’ where the fields, accommodation, gym and all facilities are within walking distance for players, referees and officials.
“This is a huge advantage in terms of logistics and delivering a world-class atmosphere,” he added.
International Tag Federation Board Member Simon Bewley added: “There is a huge contingent travelling from the South Hemisphere and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Irish public to see the best taggers in the world compete”.
More than 100 men’s, women’s and mixed teams will compete in various aged and open categories with Ireland entering teams across all 13 categories.
The tournament was due to take place in 2021 but was delayed due to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic. The joint bid was led by the UL Conference and Sports Campus and the Irish Tag Rugby Association with the support of Limerick City and County Council, Failte Ireland and the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau.
