New documentary series marks six months to go until Touch World Cup

England Touch and Barefoot Filmmaker have today launched the first episode of a new series, Touch: Road to World Cup, which will give a behind-the-scenes insight into what it takes to achieve high performance on the international stage.

Episode 1 reflects back on the 2022 and 2023 European Touch Championships, featuring candid in-depth interviews with Dom Tripp and Niki Bird, two stalwarts of England’s High Performance programme, with further episodes planned for 2024.

“⁠I created the sort of film I would want to watch myself,” commented Adam Hughes from Barefoot Filmmaker. “I love the sport, whether playing or watching, and the people in it have such a variety of stories to tell. This is my way of getting just two stories out there for people to enjoy!”

January 15th also marks six months to go until England hosts the biggest ever Touch World Cup at the University of Nottingham.

Around 190 teams from 40 nations have confirmed their entry across 13 categories, and with approximately 4,000 players, referees, support staff and organising staff July’s week in the Midlands represents the third biggest single sporting event in terms of competitors and participants to be held in England since 2010 after the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

The 2023 Touch World Cup will be approximately 50 percent bigger than the previous edition in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

Nations to be represented include both traditional rugby-playing heartlands of the home countries, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the Pacific Islands, along with the likes of China, Sweden, Malaysia, Oman, Phillipines and Singapore.

England’s teams are heading into the World Cup on the back of their most successful European campaign, winning nine Gold medals and a Bronze at the 2023 European Touch Championships, and the High Performance squad is well into the winter training programme.

To be involved as a sponsor or partner email TWC2024@englandtouch.org.uk