Following a historic success at the 2023 British & Irish Cup, the national coaches have selected their final squads to play in this summer’s 2023 Tag World Cup, taking place at the University of Limerick, Ireland from the 2nd-5th August.
The World Cup is the flagship international tournament in Tag Rugby and has been delayed for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That delay has helped facilitate the creation of two new Great Britain sides – Women’s 35s and Men’s 40s – meaning that Great Britain will be sending eight teams, their greatest number so far, to the first northern hemisphere World Cup.
From initial trials in Oxford, Manchester and London in March, through ongoing training, the UK Tag Nationals in May and last weekend’s British & Irish Cup, competition for places in the World Cup teams has been at an all time high and the players selected represent the very best Tag Rugby talent within Great Britain. Ultimately coaches were only able to select 20 players per team which means that some very tough decisions have had to be made and a number of very strong players will not play at the tournament.
Friends, family and teammates can show their support for the Great Britain teams both in Ireland and at home. Supporters are welcome to travel to Limerick to watch the teams in action and can book accommodation onsite at the University of Limerick here. The official 2023 Tag World Cup live stream will be shared across Great Britain Tag Rugby and Try Tag Rugby social media with full details to follow while the International Tag Federation is hoping to offer live scoring on all games, including those that are unable to be streamed.
Supporters can also kit themselves out in official GBTR supporters jerseys to wear on the sideline or in front of the TV in order to look the part.
Will Shepherd, Great Britain Programme Director said: “The last Tag World Cup in 2018 was a watershed moment for the GB Programme as we returned home with two medals – a silver in Men’s 30s and a bronze in Women’s 27s. The energy generated from that and the subsequent British & Irish Cup win in 2019 has propelled our national teams to new heights and stunning achievements since then, as we saw at the weekend with our 5-2 B&I Cup victory.
“The 2023 Tag World Cup therefore presents us with an awesome and important opportunity. As we take our greatest ever number of teams to the first World Cup on our continent we are aiming to come home with four medals, at least one of which should be gold. Our players have before them the chance not only to become the first GB Tag World Champions but also to be part of a truly groundbreaking moment in the history of Tag in the UK. Greatness awaits… I wish the very best of luck to all our players, coaches and team managers!”
The Great Britain squads for the 2023 Tag World Cup are:
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