METHODS AND MEANS RELATED TO RUGBY TAG IN SECONDARY SCHOOL. CASE STUDY

Rezumat

Background. Physical inactivity among school-aged children has become a growing concern, particularly during the sensitive period of puberty, where sedentary behaviors threaten the physical, psychological, and intellectual development of youth. Schools play a vital role in addressing this issue, offering structured physical education lessons that promote long-term engagement in movement and
sport. One promising avenue for increasing motivation and participation in physical education is through team sports that combine playfulness with social interaction. Tag rugby, a non-contact version of rugby, offers an ideal introduction to the game, particularly for middle school students, by combining fun, dynamic gameplay with the development of motor, cognitive, and social skills. In recent years, several studies have highlighted the educational value of tag rugby in schools, demonstrating its capacity to foster teamwork, enhance tactical understanding, and support the holistic  development of children. Despite the growing international attention, the popularity and application of tag rugby remain limited in Romania, underscoring the need for targeted pedagogical research and
innovation. This study was motivated by the desire to explore and optimize the teaching methods and tools used for introducing tag rugby to middle school students, aiming to increase their enthusiasm for physical activity and contribute to the promotion of this sport within the Romanian educational system. 
Objectives.The purpose of this paper was to dentify the teaching-learning methods and means used for the initiation of pupils in rugby-tag at the gymnasium level.
Methods. Bibliographic study method, observation method, case study method, statistical-mathematical method.
Results.The intervention programme is practical and can be successfully applied since there were significant differences from the initial to the final test at the level of arithmetic means, namely, in test 1 the difference is 2.4 and 1.95 points, in test 2 it is 2.9 and 1.55 points, in test 3 the value is 2 and in the last test the difference is 2 points and 1.43 seconds. At the initial test the group of students obtained low results in conditions of moderate homogeneity presented by the minimum value 0.10% and maximum 0.19%, later after the application of the intervention programme by the specialist teacher, the students have gained significant progress in conditions of homogeneity with high degree, which is represented by the coefficient of variability minimum 0.06% and maximum 0.1 and than in test 3, the value is 0.11%, which tells us that in the results in view of the technical detriment of rugby tag, the group presented homogeneity with moderate character.
Conclusion. Research has shown that initiation into tag rugby at middle school level is most effective through the combined use of the global method, the playful method, the small-sided and isolated game phases method, and the global-analytical-global algorithm. It has also been confirmed that heuristic methods, based on personal investigation and problem solving in game situations, are essential for the development of technical and tactical skills and analytical thinking. In addition, the use of specific exercises, preparatory games, and the actual game of tag rugby proved to be practical and effective, leading to significant progress in the motor, cognitive, and affective performance of students.