A Belfast tag rugby club for people with learning disabilities continues to grow from strength to strength as it approaches a proud milestone. Newforge Taggers will celebrate their 20th anniversary next year. The 2026-27 season will see the club toast two decades of sport, fun and memories with its members and their families. Having started in 2006 with around a dozen players, the Belfast outfit currently caters for over 40 players ranging from the ages of six to 48. "We were the first club of its kind to form on the entire island of Ireland. There are now 11 clubs in Ulster alone," explained Newforge Taggers Tag RFC Chairperson Nikki Gregg. "It was one of our members who read an article in a rugby magazine which was reporting on the participation in tag rugby for individuals with an intellectual disability and thought how good would it be for his son to get involved In the game he has loved over the years. "He approached some of his friends to see if they would like to become involved in setting up the club and do some coaching. He had such an overwhelming positive support he was then able to approach Newforge to see if we could become a sister club to the PSNI Rugby Club and train at Newforge and the rest is history. "The club started off with 12 players and we now have approximately 40 players ranging from the ages of six and 48. We have been fairly consistent in numbers with many of the founder members still playing today. "We have a wide range of players all with special needs, and train once a week on a Sunday morning from 10am to 11.15am." Tag rugby is a hugely popular non-contact sport where each player wears a special shorts which has two tags attached. Instead of being tackled, the player carrying the ball can be ‘tagged’ by having one of these tags removed from their shorts by an opposing player. When Newforge Taggers first formed back in 2006, they didn't have any teams to compete against due to the lack of clubs throughout Ireland. "We had to go over to England each year and play in a tournament. Those were our only competitive matches," Nikki said. "This was great fun with players, parents and coaches travelling over for a superb weekend of rugby, craic and fun. Now, with the formation of more clubs in Ulster and Ireland. we no longer have to travel across the water and will play in blitzes and tournaments throughout Ireland." With the growth of the sport here, Newforge Taggers now compete in events called 'Blitzes', and have previously welcomed teams from Dublin, Cavan, Portadown, Ballymena, and Ballyclare to Belfast for games. But while the players get to showcase their skills on the pitch, there is much more to the Newforge Taggers' ethos. "It is also about the spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship. That's what we like to encourage and promote through our social events," Nikki said. "Physical activities and tag rugby promotes the overall health and well-being of those involved at the club We like to call it the Tagger family where players, coaches and parents all get something out of it. "It is lovely that it gives parents opportunities to chat to each other during training sessions and support each other and form friendships with other parents. The club is about the players and their families, and that is something we have always encouraged and prided ourselves on. "It’s so much more than tag rugby. Everyone is equal, we encourage social interaction amongst our players on and off with pitch with club nights out. "We also look at what it takes to be a team player, friendships, building up self esteem and confidence and plenty of camaraderie and fun." Nikki added: "We have enjoyed some wonderful moments with the players in recent years. We were previously invited to play a game at Twickenham before an England vs New Zealand Autumn International. "Our Taggers did the guard of honour for players running onto the pitch. Some of the New Zealand team taught us the Haka in the changing room after the game. "We were also the first special needs tag rugby team to play in mainstream spring and summer leagues. That team comprises of players and coaches. "We also took part in a special Energia four-part documentary. We had a club 'How’s it going?' day which tackled the issue of mental health though inclusion, nutrition with local nutritionist Jane McClenaghan who completed an interactive workshop with our players and talked about mood boosting foods to both players and parents. That was followed by a Q&A session with two Ulster rugby players about how to manage their emotions. "We also had a visit from King Charles which was another special moment for the club." The Newforge Taggers have strong links with Ulster Rugby, and have appointed a number of high-profile Patrons over the years to help promote the club. Nikki said: "Our first ever Patron was former Ulster player Paul Steinmetz who made over 100 appearances for the province. He was heavily involved with the club and instrumental in building the brand of Newforge Taggers in the early days. "Since launching the club has always had Ulster Rugby senior team Patrons associated with the club, the current being Aidan Morgan and Zac Ward who have been attending and participating in training sessions." The Newforge Taggers are currently midway through another exciting season, with spring and summer leagues offering plenty of games for the players to enjoy. Nikki hopes the club can encourage more players to join up in the future as it looks to expand its numbers, particularly young members. She added: "We are always looking for new players, particularly girls and under 15’s. That being said we would welcome any player who would be keen to join and play and become a Newforge Tagger." Anyone interested in finding out more about the Newforge Taggers or wanting to join can email the club at newforgetaggers@yahoo.com Alternatively, they can be contacted through their Facebook and Instagram pages. Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox