Rugby can improve your fitness, build strength and balance, and help your mental wellbeing. It’s also a great way to stay connected and reduce feelings of loneliness or isolation.
Walking Rugby offers the same benefits but with no running and minimal contact. It’s especially helpful for people living with long-term health conditions.
If rugby is your passion, there’s always a way to stay involved. Whether you want to play full-contact rugby, try Walking Rugby, Tag Rugby, or Wheelchair Rugby, become a referee, or simply be an active spectator, there’s an option for everyone. Read on to see what might work best for you.
Rugby gets your heart working with all the moving and changing position and direction.
Rugby builds strength through carrying the ball, short runs, and steady footwork.
Rugby boosts your balance as you move, turn, and hold the ball steady.
You’re never too old to stay part of the game. Whether you just want to watch, you want to play, or even referee, there’s something for everyone. Check out the ‘Getting Started’ section below to find your way in.
Walking rugby is a slower-paced version of the game with no running and limited contact. You can find more about the rules in the Walking Rugby Guidelines.
It can be hard to know where to start when trying to move more. Everyone begins at a different point, depending on how active they are, how easily they move, and how strong they feel.
To get started, choose the option that best matches what you usually do on an average day in each column below. Look at your daily activities, mobility, and strength to find a sensible place to begin. Then click on the ‘see results’ button to reveal where you should start.
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Even if you’re only watching the match, small movements make a big difference. Try doing bicep curls, marching on the spot, or even sit-to-stand exercises during breaks or after a try is scored. Need help getting started? Try some simple chair-based exercises.
Not ready to play but love watching? During the half-time break or after a score, try a few strength or balance exercises exercises. Going to a local match is also a great way to walk a bit more while enjoying the game.
Walking Rugby is “the game you love, played in a new way.” There’s no running and only light contact, so it’s great for people who want to stay active while taking care of their health. It’s fun, social, and a great way to make new friends.
Keep enjoying Walking Rugby to build your confidence, balance, and team spirit. You don’t need to run or tackle — it’s all about the fun of the game and working together.
If you feel ready for more, why not try Touch Rugby or Tag Rugby? These versions involve more movement and a little more contact. Or, if you’re experienced, Masters Rugby League could be a good fit. You can also stay involved as a referee, especially if you have a good eye for the game.
Yes! Wheelchair Rugby is fast, exciting, and full-contact. It’s a popular sport for people who use wheelchairs — and it’s just as thrilling as the original game!
Walking Rugby UK is the home of the country’s fastest-growing rugby variant, offering a fun, inclusive, and low-impact version of the game for adults of all backgrounds, with a strong focus on camaraderie, fitness, and community festivals.
This site has been put together by specialists in exercise medicine and supported and funded by Nuffield Health Charity. In collaboration with academic experts, specialists in behavioural change, medics across a wide spectrum of specialties, physiotherapists, nurses and most importantly, people living with the symptoms of long term conditions. Through our rigorous academic process we have carefully ensured that all the information on this website is trustworthy and evidence based.
The following organisations have contributed to and endorsed the content of this website.
