It’s only half a year since the waist flag football landed in Chengdu without armor and collision, and tens of thousands of people have played it. Let’s play together.
Cover Journalist Zou Ajiang Yang Jiyue Trainee Reporter Zhao Yi Photo Report
Some pictures are from the interviewees.
On August 15th, at 6 o’clock in the evening, the temperature still exceeded 35℃, and the heat wave enveloped the turf stadium in Chengdu Jinjiang District Rugby Association. Although it is a sweaty weather when standing still, people are coming in with sports bags, sportswear and sneakers. Soon after, there was a running figure on the field, and everyone rushed to grab an almond-shaped object-football.
When it comes to football, the impressions of fierceness, impact and madness will come out at the first time. However, the scene in front of us is much more "elegant", with more flexible leaps, moves, dodges and flashes. Even the players don’t wear armor or helmets. The most striking feature is wearing a colorful waist flag, which is why the sport is named-waist flag football.
Since March this year, flag football has become popular in Chengdu and has quickly become a trend sport. Only the largest "Chengdu huddle" flag football community in Chengdu has attracted more than 3,000 people, and at least 3 events are held every week, which has attracted tens of thousands of people to participate. According to the relevant person in charge of the community, they will hold a larger-scale competition next month, and it is expected that more than 20 teams from all over the world will participate.
▲ Waist flag rugby fans are attacking with the ball.
Exercise:
Pulling down the flag is a successful football game.
No armor, no helmet, no collision
Flag football is a popular sport originated from the National Football League (NFL). Compared with the formal rugby, the flag rugby is not allowed to hug and push people. When the defender pulls down a flag on the belt of the attacking player with the ball, the attack is stopped. It is a safe "non-collision" sport.
▲ Zheng Yujiang
"It started in Shanghai last year and officially settled in Chengdu in March this year." As Zheng Yujiang, who has been playing rugby for nearly 10 years, he was overjoyed when the flag football landed in Chengdu. "The football dream that was almost broken has continued." Today, he has become a coach of the "Chengdu huddle" waist flag football community.
As American football is a non-Olympic sport, its development in China is mostly voluntary. "I came into contact with equipped rugby from high school. At that time, there were many American and Mexican rugby players in Chengdu. They were professionally trained and I often learned how to play rugby from them."
▲ rugby
In 2016, the United States came to a professional league and held player selection in China. Zheng Yujiang was fortunate to be selected and began to receive systematic training. "But a year later, the alliance left." After the league left, Zheng Yujiang still tried to promote rugby. "But everyone was a little worried when they heard rugby, because they had a strong sense of confrontation and collision, so they had to wear helmets and armor and avoided it."
Just when he couldn’t hold on, the flag football appeared. "This is a victory for rugby to go to the public." In Zheng Yujiang’s view, in addition to the obvious decline in the intensity of confrontation, everyone used to think that the sport of "being tall" is now "grounded". It can be played once for tens of dollars and can be played for two and a half hours at a time.
"Waist flag football will remove the helmet armor and replace it with a waist flag. There is no physical collision, as long as the opponent’s waist flag is torn down, the defense is successful. Its impact is not great, but more of a contest of defensive evasion and flexibility. " According to Zheng Yujiang, the rules of the game have also been simplified in terms of rugby rules. The venue has been reduced and the number of people has been streamlined. Only five people can form a team.
▲ Before the game, members cheered with gestures.
Essence:
Regardless of gender and size, it tests wisdom.
Everyone’s deep participation brings strong social attributes.
Regarding the concerns of novices, Zheng Yujiang always patiently explained: "As long as you can run, you can play. You don’t need to prepare any equipment, don’t bother, just wear a pair of hard shoes. " If you have to buy equipment, Zheng Yujiang thinks gloves, braces, football shoes or rugby shoes can be considered.
Zheng Yujiang likes to compare the flag football to "marching and fighting". "This is a game of physical strength and intelligence, and teamwork is very important." The turn-based competition system has high requirements for the formation, strategy and tactics of the team. Therefore, at the end of each round, the team will meet and adjust the formation, players and tactics in time. "It’s interesting that everyone can be a’ strategist’, not like a movement, but more like a military battle."
▲ Waist flag rugby match site
It is these differences from football equipment that make the waist flag football exude its own charm. Looking around, there are tall and strong boys and many delicate and petite girls on the court. The flag football brings them together and is becoming an inclusive sport that breaks the gender and weakens the body shape.
"We have a lot of girls here. Girls and boys can play flag football, and girls also have her unique advantages." Zheng Yujiang said that because there is no gender restriction, everyone can find their own role on the field. "This is also the most attractive place for flag football. Everyone has their own sense of existence and division of labor, and they have a strong sense of participation. No one will be a’ small transparency’ on the court. "
▲ Daily training for flag rugby fans
Generally speaking, most girls are small in size and strength, and they can run quickly and pass the ball in a short distance on the court, which is more sensitive. Boys, on the other hand, have better physical strength, can run farther and engage in more powerful division of labor. "It’s hard for you to’ paddle’." In Zheng Yujiang’s view, because everyone can participate deeply, the social attribute of flag football is stronger than other sports, which makes fans form a new "circle of friends".
▲ Daily training for flag rugby fans
"Sometimes after training, everyone will have dinner together and go out to play together on weekends. Even some people meet at first sight, even if they don’t make an appointment. " He believes that due to various pressures in modern society, people’s social desire is reduced, and it is even difficult to go out. "And flag football is a good medium for young people to go out and not close themselves."
Popular:
The largest community has attracted more than 3,000 fans.
More than 20 teams will participate in the competition next month.
The flag football began to rise in March, and soon swept the major stadiums in Chengdu, becoming a trend sport. "We didn’t expect it to be so popular. Many people have joined in, not just Chengdu, but all over the country." What makes Zheng Yujiang even more excited is that a large-scale competition will be held in Chengdu at the beginning of next month. More than 20 teams will participate in the competition, which will be divided into three groups: boys’ group, girls’ group and mixed group.
▲ Waist flag rugby fans are playing.
"This competition is supported by Jinjiang Rugby Association, and teams from Chongqing, Guiyang and Xi ‘an will be invited to exchange ideas." Zheng Yujiang is full of expectations for this competition, and other members of the club are also eager to try. "As long as you are willing to participate, you can form any team. Friends you know, strangers you don’t know, three or five people can form a team. "
Jinjiang Rugby Association in Jiangkou, JUNG WOO, plays an important role in the development of Chengdu Yaoqi Rugby. "Our association was formally established in September 2021. On the one hand, it stems from our love for rugby, on the other hand, it cannot be separated from the government’s attention and support." Hou Dongdong is the head of Jinjiang Rugby Association. Three years ago, he was engaged in the promotion and promotion of rugby in Shanghai. More than two years of accumulation and precipitation, coupled with his love for his hometown of Chengdu, made him choose to return to Chengdu without hesitation in the case of brilliant career in Shanghai.
"I have been paying attention to the development of Chengdu’s sports industry. At present, Chengdu is building a world famous sports city. I believe that rugby, as an emerging sports project, will have more opportunities here." Under the birth of love, Hou Dongdong brought back the experience and resources accumulated in Shanghai to Chengdu to develop rugby. After half a year’s preparation and investigation, this idea has finally become a reality.
In March this year, the rise of flag football in Chengdu gave Hou Dongdong new ideas. In order to let more people participate in this sport, Jinjiang Rugby Association, together with pandaren, REMEFIT and American Rugby Tribe, initiated the establishment of the Waist Flag Rugby Community. "At present, the number of people in the community has exceeded 3,000, and at least three flag football activities are held every week."
▲ Waist flag rugby training site
It is worth mentioning that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Communist Youth League. The Association and the Jinjiang District Committee of the Communist Youth League in Chengdu jointly launched a flag football fun game, inviting people such as Rong Piao talents, building talents, government officials and teenagers to participate in the event. At present, the activities mainly cover urban white-collar workers, sports enthusiasts, college students, teenagers and children, and the cumulative number of participants has exceeded 10,000.
It is impossible to keep the pulse of sports beating in the city with a cavity of blood alone, but it also needs the support of hardware such as venues. In this regard, Hou Dongdong is deeply touched. "With the arrival of the Universiade and the World Games, many new venues have been built in Chengdu. After the competition, these venues will be open to the public, providing very good objective conditions for the development and popularization of the sports industry. "
He is full of expectations for the future. Because, "the diversity of venues enables Chengdu to organize more activities and hold high-level rugby events, and at the same time, let the citizens have more choices of sports venues and sports methods."
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