British Asians around the country are holding Table Rugby tournaments where the winner gets the chance to play in the Table Rugby World Championships, to raise money for the UK Stem Cell Foundation.
The concept of Table Rugby is that anyone, anywhere, can play the game; all that’s needed to play is a coin, a flat surface, and a couple of people who want to have fun. While there is an official size for the table and coin for the championships, any flat surface and a coin (a 2p is perfect) will work. It’s fun for kids and adults alike and can be played anywhere – with the WTRA even promoting a competition for the best picture of Table Rugby played in unusual places.
The game is simple; player 1 knocks a coin to the opposite end of the table in three hits, hoping to have a bit of the coin hanging over the opposite side of the table’s edge. The coin is then flipped up and caught for a try, then spun, caught and flicked over their opponent’s finger goalposts for a conversion.
A keen participant, Ashraf Islam speaking to Asian Voice said, “This is such a fun game for such a great cause – and can be played anywhere by anyone. It coincides with the Rugby World Cup which of course everyone is really excited about”.
Priya Kalia told Asian Voice: “It’s a bit of fun, a novelty game which can be played by anyone – even if you aren’t good at sport!”
The Rugby World Cup is the perfect time for the inaugural World Championships, as players from all around the world come to the UK and the aim is to have as many nations as possible represented in the finals. Rugby will therefore be high on the news agenda and people will be even more likely to get involved. While Rugby World Cup spectators may not be welcome to start a scrum or do a flying tackle in the pub before a real rugby match, with Table Rugby, everyone can get involved in the game!
Hugh O’Donnell, fundraising director of the UKSCF, said: “We gratefully welcome this opportunity to work with the World Table Rugby Association to fundraise in such a fun way for the UK Stem Cell Foundation, and around such a momentous occasion as the Rugby World Cup...”
The UK Stem Cell Foundation was created in 2005 to ensure a speedy transfer of developments from the laboratory bench to the bedside. It does so by directly funding promising clinical projects in UK medical schools, universities and hospitals. This will be achieved by providing support to enable translational research and clinical trials to advance; and by promoting a collaborative dialogue amongst the stem cell research community.
To sign up to host their own tournament, those who’d like to play can simply visit the website http://www.tablerugby.co.uk/. People wishing to get involved have up until 18th October to do so.
