If you can run, dodge or evade a tackle and slip past a defender, you can probably play tag rugby, but chances are you’ll have a hard time keeping tabs on Imraan Hodson, 22, from Beacon Valley.
Fleet footed and crafty with the ball in hand, Hodson, a former pupil at Hyacinth Primary School in Lentegeur and Portland High, was recently selected to represent the SA mixed open team in the UK in July to take part in a test series against Great Britain.
Introduced to the game by current SA men’s tag team captain, Kyle “Koffi” Saunders, Hodson has been playing tag since December last year when invited by his long-time buddy to play in a summer tag tournament.
“I knew Kyle from a young age as our grandparents lived two streets away from each other. He invited me to play in a summer tag tournament which we won comfortably. He then recommended that I join the Tag Premier League (TPL) which is run by the SA Tag Rugby Association to scout and recruit new talent for national tag rugby teams,” Hodson said.
Coming from a rugby-mad family, it’s hardly surprising that Hodson got into the game at an early age and has played for various clubs, including Collegians, Hamilton and SK Walmer as a junior, before joining the Claremont-based Villager RFC two seasons ago.
“Watching the Springboks, Currie Cup and Super Rugby was always an occasion in my family,” he said.
Choosing between tag rugby and regular rugby is not really all that hard, as the one compliments the other, he said.
“I wouldn’t be able to choose between the two, even if I could, because I love both equally,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I chose tag over 15s or vice versa. It keeps me a step ahead of competition because you need different skills for both games,” he said.
“While regular rugby is associated with heavy tackles, tag prohibits contact which makes clever ball distribution and passing all the more important,” he said, which is exactly where his experience as a scrum half comes in handy.
“I normally play scrum half but can cover the entire backline. I love playing scrum because it requires you to do a little bit of everything,” he said.
Forced to sit it out for six months in 2022 due to injury, the road to recovery has not been an easy one, but he’s happy to be back.
“A former coach suggested I join him at Villager. I made the best of the opportunity and finished with the second most tries as well as the most points scored on the Third team squad. The journey has not been easy but it’s only getting started,” he said.
A match-winning try in a league fixture against Helderberg, at Brookside, in Claremont, last Friday, helped his side to a 14-7 win and bears testimony to his quick-thinking and speedy reflexes.
“One of my teammates ripped the ball off an opponent and hit a bit of space. I was reactive and got up in support, received the pass and headed for the white wash,” he said.
While happy with his progress thus far, the burden of having to raise funds to help make the trip to the UK a reality, remains a headache for Hodson and his family.
“This tour with SA Tag Rugby is a self fundraising tour as tag rugby does not have the support of the government and their partners. With this being said, all donations are welcome. My aim is to get as much exposure from this tour as possible and become a staple in the Villager First Team locker room. I would love to play overseas at some point in my career. But for now my head’s down and I’m pumping my legs hoping to reach land,” he said.
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