Touch World Cup

Touch World Cup
Most recent season or competition:
2019
SportTouch
Founded1988
First season1988
No. of teams28
CountriesAustralia, Belgium, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Cook Islands, England, Europe, France, Fiji, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United States, Wales
Most recent
champion(s)		Australia
(2024)
Tournament formatRound Robin and a Finals Series
Official websitewww.internationaltouch.org

The first Touch World Cup tournament was held in 1988. Touch and the Touch World Cup are monitored by the international governing body for touch the Federation of International Touch (FIT).[1] The Touch World Cup has been hosted in five continents (Asia, Oceania, Europe, North America, Africa) but is yet to be played in South America. Australia has hosted the World Cup the most having hosted it thrice. While the number of participant teams is growing steadily, almost all finals to date have been contested between Australia and New Zealand. Australia has won the most finals.

In accordance with the rules of Touch, all World Cup matches are played on a rectangular 70m x 50m pitch.[2] It is played six aside with eight substitutes. The match is played for 40 minutes in two twenty-minute halves. Touch, unlike many other football variants, always uses three referees. This is the same in the Touch World Cup.[3]

FIT Field Standards 5th Edition Rulebook

Touch and therefore the Touch World Cup are seen as competitors to its Rugby Union equivalent, Tag rugby and the Tag rugby world cup, which is held every three years, the Touch World Cup is instead held every four years much like the football and rugby (league and union) world cups.

World Cup Venues

Source:[4]

The following outlines the World Cups held and planned for the future.

  1. 1988 -  Australia (Gold Coast) in 4 Divisions.
  2. 1991 -  New Zealand (Auckland) in 6 Divisions.
  3. 1995 -  United States (Hawaii) in 7 Divisions.
  4. 1999 -  Australia (Sydney) in 8 Divisions.
  5. 2003 -  Japan (Kumagaya) in 5 Divisions.
  6. 2007 -  South Africa (Stellenbosch) in 6 Divisions.
  7. 2011 -  Scotland (Edinburgh) in 7 Divisions.
  8. 2015 -  Australia (Coffs Harbour) in 9 Divisions.
  9. 2019 -  Malaysia (Putrajaya) in 11 Divisions.
  10. 2024 -  England (Nottingham) in 13 Divisions.

World Cup Results

1988 - Australia (Gold Coast)

World Cup # : 1
Dates : 14–16 November 1988
Participants : 5 (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, USA)
Location : Carrara Oval, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Overall winner : Australia

Division Winners Runners-up Teams
Men's Open Australia New Zealand 4
Women's Open Australia New Zealand 4
Mixed Open Australia New Zealand 4
Men's Masters (Over 35 years) Australia New Zealand 5

1991 - New Zealand (Auckland)

World Cup # : 2
Dates : 3–7 December 1991
Participants : 9 (Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tokelau)
Location : Avondale Racecourse, Auckland, New Zealand
Overall winner : Australia

Division Winners Runners-up Teams
Men's Open Australia New Zealand 9
Women's Open Australia New Zealand 6
Mixed Open Australia New Zealand 6
Men's Seniors (over 30 years) Australia New Zealand 7
Women's Seniors (over 27 years) New Zealand Australia 5
Men's Masters (over 35 years) Australia New Zealand 6

1995 - USA, Hawaii (Waikiki Beach)

World Cup # : 3
Dates : 21–25 March 1995
Participants : 11 (American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Japan, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, South Africa, Tonga, United States)
Location : Kapiolani Park, Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, United States
Overall winner : Australia

Division Winners Runners-up Teams
Men's Open Australia New Zealand 8
Women's Open Australia New Zealand 6
Mixed Open Australia New Zealand 8
Men's Over 30 Years Australia New Zealand 7
Women's Over 30 Years Australia New Zealand 5
Men's Over 35 Years Australia New Zealand 5
Men's Over 40 Years Australia New Zealand 3

1999 - Australia (Sydney)

World Cup # : 4
Dates : 21–24 April 1999
Participants : 19 (Australia, Cook Islands, England, Fiji, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tokelau, Tonga, USA, Wales)
Location : David Phillips Sports Fields, Daceyville, Sydney, Australia
Overall winner : Australia

Division Winners Runners-up Teams
Men's Open Australia New Zealand 13
Women's Open Australia New Zealand 8
Mixed Open New Zealand Australia 15
Men's Over 30 Years Australia Lebanon 12
Women's Over 30 Years Australia New Zealand 5
Mixed Over 30 Years New Zealand Australia 5
Men's Over 35 Years Australia New Zealand 4
Men's Over 40 Years Australia New Zealand 5

2003 - Japan (Kumagaya)

World Cup # : 5
Dates : 24–28 May 2003
Participants : 10 (Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Niue, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, USA, Wales)
Location : Kumagaya Rugby Complex, Kumagaya, Japan
Overall winner : Australia

Division Winners Runners-up Teams
Men's Open Australia New Zealand 6
Women's Open Australia New Zealand 5
Mixed Open Australia New Zealand 7
Men's Over 30 Years Australia New Zealand 5
Men's Over 35 Years Australia New Zealand 4

2007 - South Africa (Stellenbosch)

World Cup # : 6
Dates : 17–21 January 2007
Participants : 15 (Australia, England, Fiji, France, Japan, Jersey, Lebanon, New Zealand, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, USA, Wales)
Location : Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Overall winner : Australia

Division Winners Runners-up Teams
Men's Open Australia New Zealand 8
Women's Open Australia New Zealand 8
Mixed Open New Zealand Australia 6
Mixed 30s New Zealand Australia 7
Men's Over 30 Years Australia Samoa 8
Men's Over 35 Years Australia South Africa 4

2011 - Scotland (Edinburgh)

World Cup # : 7
Dates : 22–26 June 2011
Participants : 26 (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Catalonia, Cook Islands, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Guernsey, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United States and Wales)
Location : Peffermill Sports Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland
Overall winner : Australia

Division Winners[5][6] Runners-up Teams
Men's Open Australia New Zealand 15
Women's Open Australia New Zealand 11
Mixed Open Australia New Zealand 19
Senior Mixed New Zealand Australia 7
Men's Over 30 Years Australia England 10
Men's Over 35 Years Australia South Africa 11
Men's Over 40 Years New Zealand Australia 10

2015 - Australia (Coffs Harbour)

World Cup # : 8
Dates : 29 April - 3 May 2015
Participants : 25 (Australia, Chile, China, Cook Islands, England, France, Fiji, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Middle East Touch, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, United States, Wales)
Teams: 90[7][8]
Location : Coffs Harbour International Stadium, Coffs Harbour, Australia
Overall winner : Australia

Division Winners[9] Runners-up Teams
Men's Open Australia New Zealand 16
Women's Open Australia New Zealand 14
Mixed Open Australia New Zealand 22
Women's Over 27 Years Australia New Zealand 5
Senior Mixed Australia New Zealand 6
Men's Over 30 Years Australia Cook Islands 7
Men's Over 35 Years New Zealand Australia 6
Men's Over 40 Years Australia New Zealand 9
Men's Over 50 Years Australia Italy 5

2019 - Malaysia (Putrajaya)

World Cup # : 9
Dates : 29 April - 4 May 2019
Participants : 28 (Australia, Belgium, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Cook Islands, England, Europe, France, Fiji, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United States, Wales)[10]
Location : Taman Ekuestrian, Putrajaya, Malaysia
Overall winner : Australia

Overall Runners up : New Zealand

Overall Winners, Australia
Overall Runners Up, New Zealand
Division Winners[9] Runners-up 3rd Place Teams
Men's Open Australia New Zealand Japan 16
Women's Open Australia New Zealand Japan 17
Mixed Open Australia New Zealand Scotland 22
Women's Over 27 Years New Zealand Australia England 7
Senior Mixed (over 30 years) Australia Cook Islands New Zealand 11
Men's Over 30 Years Australia South Africa France 8
Men's Over 35 Years Australia New Zealand Cook Islands 6
Women's Over 35 Years Australia New Zealand England 4
Men's Over 40 Years New Zealand Australia Japan 13
Men's Over 45 Years Australia New Zealand South Africa 6
Men's Over 50 Years New Zealand Australia Singapore 6

During the 2019 Touch World Cup, all divisions consisted of a round robin of 1 or more groups, and a finals series. Some groups also consisted of a playoff series.[11]

2024 - England (Nottingham)

World Cup # : 10
Dates : 15 - 21 July 2024
Participants : 35 (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Cook Islands, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Guernsey, Hong Kong China, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Middle East Touch, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Portugal, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tonga, United States, Wales)
Location : University of Nottingham
Overall winner : Australia

Overall Runners up : New Zealand

Overall Winners, Australia
Overall Runners Up, New Zealand
Division Winners Runners-up 3rd Place Teams
Men's Open Australia New Zealand Lebanon 18
Women's Open Australia New Zealand England 21
Mixed Open Australia New Zealand England 29
Women's Over 27 Years Australia England South Africa 10
Men's Over 30 Years Australia New Zealand England 19
Mixed Over 30 Years Australia New Zealand England 17
Men's Over 35 Years Australia New Zealand South Africa 8
Women's Over 35 Years Australia England South Africa 8
Men's Over 40 Years New Zealand Australia England 17
Women's Over 40 Years Australia New Zealand England 5
Men's Over 45 Years Australia New Zealand France 14
Men's Over 50 Years Australia New Zealand England 15
Men's Over 55 Years Australia New Zealand England 5

Full results are available on the FIT website.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Federation of International Touch". www.internationaltouch.org. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  2. ^ "Evolution of Touch" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Touch Rugby Rules" (PDF). FIT 5th Edition Rulebook. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  4. ^ "Federation of International Touch - Events".
  5. ^ "Open Category Standings" (PDF). 2011 Touch World Cup.
  6. ^ "Senior category Standings" (PDF). 2011 Touch World Cup.
  7. ^ Tom Lowrey (30 April 2015). "World's best touch footballers descend on Coffs Harbour". ABC News. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  8. ^ NRL.com (24 April 2015). "Touch World Cup officially launched". Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  9. ^ a b "Draws and Results". Touch World Cup 2015.
  10. ^ "Federation of International Touch - World Cup - 2019". www.internationaltouch.org. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  11. ^ "Federation of International Touch - World Cup - 2019". www.internationaltouch.org. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  12. ^ "Federation of International Touch - World Cup - 2024".