Thames Valley Region to Become Try Tag Rugby Reading and Try Tag Rugby Oxford
The Try Tag Rugby community in Thames Valley is entering an exciting new chapter.
After more than a decade of Try Tag Rugby being played in the area, the existing Thames Valley franchise will now split into two separate regions: Try Tag Rugby Reading and Try Tag Rugby Oxford.
The change will take effect from midday on Tuesday 17th March.
Leadership of the new regions
The split into two separate regions will also see a change in leadership in Reading. Chris Staines will take over running Try Tag Rugby in Reading, purchasing the Reading portion of the Thames Valley franchise.
Chris is already a familiar face to many players in the area. Over the past year he has stepped forward as a leader within the community, supporting leagues, refereeing, organising and helping the game continue to grow.
Roger Rebelo, who has run the Thames Valley franchise since 2019, will continue to lead and develop the Tag Rugby community in Oxford.
The Try Tag Rugby Thames Valley community
Try Tag Rugby has been played in the Thames Valley since 2013 and over the past several years the community has developed across both Reading and Oxford through leagues, tournaments and social events.
Roger has played a major role in building and supporting the community since taking on the franchise in 2019. His work has helped establish a welcoming and vibrant Tag Rugby environment across the region and the wider Try Tag Rugby network is very grateful for the energy and commitment he has brought to developing the leagues.
The new structure will allow both Reading and Oxford to continue developing their own local communities while remaining part of the wider Try Tag Rugby network.
What this means for players
For players, very little will change.
Leagues, venues and events will continue as normal, with the main difference being the leadership of each region.
Players in Reading will see Chris taking the lead going forward, while Oxford players will continue to see Roger running and leading the region.
UK Tag Nationals
Both regions will continue to compete together in the UK Tag Nationals as the Thames Valley Titans, so nothing will change in the short term for players involved in representative competitions.
Stay connected
Players can follow their local region for updates, league information and events. The following changes will take place from Tuesday 17th March:
Try Tag Rugby Reading
The existing Try Tag Rugby Thames Valley accounts, linked below, will be renamed to Try Tag Rugby Reading.
https://www.instagram.com/trytagrugbythamesvalley
https://www.facebook.com/trytagrugbythamesvalley
Try Tag Rugby Oxford
New Oxford accounts have been created and will be in use from Tuesday 17th March.
https://www.facebook.com/trytagrugbyoxford
https://www.instagram.com/trytagoxford
Looking ahead
The new structure will allow both Reading and Oxford to continue developing their own local communities while remaining closely connected and part of the wider Try Tag Rugby network.
We look forward to seeing both regions grow in the years ahead and continuing to welcome new players into the Tag Rugby community.