Tag Rugby prep gaining momentum

NEW rugby skills development game Tag Rugby last week announced BizPrint as one of its sponsors.

The Port Moresby-based printing specialists will handle all Tag Rugby’s signage, promotional materials and marketing for the inaugural year of the competition.

Tag Rugby initiator Mauricio Diaz told The National preparations for competition were progressing well and he was confident players and teams would be registered and ready to play by April.

"We are making good progress. We have launched our logo and on Feb 27 the Tag Rugby website will be up and running and on March 1 the registration (for players and teams) will start," Diaz said.

There will be 40 teams which will have 480 children involved in the competition which will run from March 24 to Dec 15.

All interested players 12 and under must produce proof of date of birth in order to be issued an identification card.

Diaz said the competition would also be visited by former Argentine Pumas fullback Ignacio Corletto who is expected in the last week of April.

Ex-Puma Ignacio Corletto will be in the country for a week and he will spend some time with the children.

Diaz said he was also working on getting former All Black and World Cup-winning (1987) hooker Sean Fitzpatrick to visit in June to further promote Tag Rugby.

He added that there would also be a team of ex-international rugby players to visit later in the year.

Diaz also thanked sponsors of Tag Rugby saying he expected the competition to be a success with their assistance.

"Right now we have the support of BizPrint, BOC Gas, Swish Octopus Design, Three 5 management and Air New Zealand.

"Three 5 management has donated the software for the competition, BOC has supplied balls, Swish Octopus has helped us with the website and Air New Zealand will bring in our special guests to PNG."

Diaz said more information including player eligibility guidelines and refereeing and Tag Rugby laws would be available on the website: www.tagrugbypng.com.