England Touch Association partners with BHF to get hearts healthy

The England Touch Association (ETA) and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have announced a new charity partnership.

The foundations were laid in November, when the #TouchMyHeart 28-day challenge of Touch Rugby skills and fitness activities got hundreds of Touch Rugby players off their feet across the country and raised nearly £2,500 for the BHF.

This followed research published in British Journal of Sports Medicine which highlighted that regular participation in Touch Rugby over a 10-12 week period improved cardiovascular risk factors, including resting heart rate and diastolic blood pressure. 

The research also showed that Touch Rugby players participating in the study experienced improvements in their rate of oxygen consumption, and the metabolic risk factors associated with the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and the reduction in total body fat mass. The study also suggests that Touch ‘could be actively advocated as health-promoting activities across the general population’. 

A new programme of short home workouts

This has inspired the England Touch Association and BHF to continue working together, beginning with a new programme of short home workouts designed and demonstrated by Aaron Green, the ETA’s high-performance strength and conditioning coach.

Our Area Fundraising Manager Peter Tarrant said: “Touch Rugby was a new sport to me, but the potential of a positive and proactive partnership quickly became apparent, and we’re delighted to have come to a more formal agreement with the England Touch Association.

“As a sport it ticks all the right boxes for the BHF – it can be played by male and female players of all ages, it is really accessible with no specialist equipment needed, and the health benefits are clear.”

The benefits of Touch Rugby

Chris Simon of the ETA said: “The BHF is a fantastic charity which works in an area that impacts families throughout the country, so it is an honour that they have chosen the England Touch Association as their first national governing body partnership within sport,” he commented.

“By working with the BHF we can showcase Touch Rugby as a mass participation sport at all levels, and a real driver for improved physical health and the other benefits which come from that.

“This is just one of a number of strategic partnerships that we have either finalised or are close to finalising, and we are looking positively into 2021."

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