How does tennis compare to touch rugby? Making the tennis shot or chasing the touch ball take similar bursts of energy, but find out how they compare in other ways.
Will you be winning the volley or scoring a try?
Tennis
Fun Factor
Whether it's the occasional ace or your longest rally ever, tennis can turn it on for you. Hitting a winning shot after surviving a suspenseful rally is the bomb! Endorphins will fly.
Even starting out is fun: the first time you string more than a couple of shots together will feel like Christmas.
And of course joining a club gives you a ready-made social network.
Body Benefits
Expect to develop excellent aerobic fitness, and bursts of exertion will boost your anaerobic system – a 64kg person will burn about 500 calories an hour. And while your lungs are powering up, you're developing muscles - your forearm grips the racket, your arms, shoulders, and back produce the power to hit the ball, and your legs exert muscular force from leaping around.
Cost and Gear
There are heaps of free courts around, especially at schools. Paying courts cost around $12-$20 an hour, and indoor ones are generally more expensive.
Rackets hire out at about $5 an hour. If you're looking to buy, you can pick up your first one for around $50, and there are great second hand deals.
No fancy gear needed – of course the billion-dollar tennis fashion industry would say otherwise! And if you join a club, that can cost from $150 upwards.
Accessibility
Luckily most communities have a court or two, and in the summer most schools have nets up and the gates open for play. You can grab a friend, and you're away.
Some local courts you'll need to book, and most cities have indoor courts for play in bad weather. Anyone can give tennis a go.
Time Commitment
Tennis is ideal if you don't have much time but you want to get fit and have some fun. It involves getting to the tennis court and playing for as long as you want. You can play as often or as little as you like – although if you join a club there'll be weekly events through the playing season.
For more information, see the Tennis NZ website.
Touch
Fun Factor
Touch is by definition 'fun'. All you need is a mate or 2 (or 14), a ball, an open space, and it's all on. The rules are simple and the game is easy to learn. It's one of the most convenient and inclusive sports around, and all the family can play.
Picnic on a Saturday afternoon – add a game of touch. Chilling at the beach – add a game of touch. The rush of scoring will send you back for more.
Body Benefits
Explosive bursts running with or to the ball are brilliant for cardio fitness. Touch also improves your ball-handling skills, and they can be easily transferred to other sports like rugby, netball, and basketball. Strength, speed, and agility are all involved in the game.
Cost and Gear
Touch is cheap. All you need is a touch ball (under $50) and 6 jerseys (or cones). No special clothing required for casual play, and depending on where you play, even shoes are optional!
And if you want to play touch at a more serious competitive level, costs are still pretty low compared to other sports.
Accessibility
Being non-contact, touch can be adapted to any environment and that's its beauty. Backyard or beach, the world is your touch arena.
There are over 300,000 New Zealanders aged from 5 to 55 plus who play touch regularly so if you want to pursue it at a higher level, there are plenty of clubs.
It's not limited by culture, financial status, or gender – males and females are all equal in touch!
Time Commitment
Again, with this super flexible sport, it's up to you. An impromptu afternoon game in the summer or a serious training regime and team commitment – the call is yours.
Participating in events is great fun whether your goal is to challenge yourself, meet other 'touchies', or get a bit more serious.
And there are a huge range of events, courses, and tournaments on all summer. Take your pick.
For more information, see the Touch New Zealand website.
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