A COMPANY in Bournemouth has partnered with coaching firm Rippa Rugby to create a new rugby skills and fitness game.

The game, designed by Shuffle Up Games, encourages young rugby players to get active, whilst teaching core principles of strength and conditioning.

Shuffle Up Games was founded by Gemma Coles, a gymnastics coach with over twenty years’ experience in the industry.

Following on from the successful launch of the game’s gymnastics edition, the company has since diversified to offer games in football and rugby, with a tennis edition currently in production.

Bournemouth Echo: The Rugby Skills and Fitness Game, prodcued by Shuffle Up Games, was released on September 6

Gemma said: “I wanted to challenge the idea that fitness is difficult and boring by injecting the fun back into these exercises.

“Often young children switch off at the idea of doing traditional strength and conditioning work, so it was important to keep the fun alive with Shuffle Up Games.”

Each card within the rugby game relates to movements preformed on a rugby pitch.

The game includes over 70 different cards, with each one demonstrating the correct technique of the movement, along with step-by-step guidelines for rep ranges and difficulty levels.

Bournemouth Echo: The Shuffle Up Rugby Skills and Fitness Game. Photo cred DK Capture

The game has been specifically designed to minimise the risk of injury to rugby players by encouraging them to strengthen their core, providing players with increased stability on the pitch.

Each game is created with the help of sporting experts in their respective fields. The rugby game was launched with help from Level 2 RFU coach, Stuart Gallacher.

Stuart also owns Rippa Rugby, a business dedicated to coaching rugby in schools across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.

Bournemouth Echo: Stuart Gallacher, Founder of Rippa Rugby with the Shuffle Up Rugby Skills and Fitness Game

The Bournemouth Rugby coach added: “As a rugby coach I wanted to find a way to grow the sport from the ground up, as rugby isn’t always as accessible as other sports.

“We needed to find a way of reaching out to young children, and future players, to introduce them to our game in a fun and exciting way.

“We have taken standard exercises that most children and adults know how to do, like star jumps and lunges, and made them specific to rugby. We looked at core skills in the sport such as catching, passing, kicking and defending and then added them to the game in a fun and motivating way.”

The product features three varying levels and can be played with or without a rugby ball.

The Rugby Skills and Fitness card game was released on September 6, and is available to purchase via Amazon or directly from the Shuffle Up Website.

For more information, visit www.shuffleupgames.com.