Has the traditional team-building rugby outing survived the pandemic?

Has the traditional team-building rugby outing survived the pandemic?

Team building is important in every sport, even more so in rugby. In rugby, so many moments depend on the whole team working smoothly together as a unit. You don’t manage to fight your way down the pitch for as many phases as it takes to get over the try line if you don’t work well with your teammates.

Of course, team building is largely done in training — on the pitch and in the locker room. Seeing one another put in the work is reassuring and builds confidence in the team as the sum of its parts. Important team building is also done outside as well. The team outing is one of the most important parts of the team-building process. This can range from things as small as a night at the pub to a weekend trip away.

The pandemic has impacted so many aspects of all our daily lives. Any sort of group event, activity or trip has had to be changed or cancelled for the last few years. The government has just issued updated guidelines for community rugby in the hopes that people can play — and play safely.

Are team-building outings another victim of the pandemic? Or have they survived in an altered form? How likely are they to return to normal once the world goes back to normal?

The casino trip

The casino trip is a classic team-building outing. It’s a fun activity that allows players to spend time with each other in a completely different environment. Being out of your comfort zone is a great way to build trust within a team as well. Playing poker is even a great way to learn how to read one another’s tells and signs which can be translated onto the pitch.

Visiting casinos has been difficult if not impossible for many people during the pandemic. Online casinos provide a great alternative. Considering the list of live dealer games offered by Sky City Casino, for example, all the classics are represented and there are more than enough options to choose from. Live dealer games have the added benefit of allowing players to interact with one another. So, even if your team can’t physically be in the same location, you could still be playing at the same table.

Adventure sports outing

Rugby is one the most, possibly the single most, physical sports on the planet. It should be no surprise, then, that rugby players generally love adventure sports and other high adrenaline activities. Hiking and backpacking are great choices for building solid team bonds in a less intense environment. There is time to reflect and talk but there is also the ability to just focus on the hike, which can be as easy or as strenuous as the coach feels the team might need. Other popular options include river rafting or kayaking, rock climbing or bouldering, and scuba diving or snorkelling.

Unlike some other team-building outings, adventure sports outings have been relatively untouched by the pandemic. If anything, they’ve been able to grow in popularity. Being outdoors is safer than being inside and adventure sports allow players, and everyone else, to work off some of the tension that we’ve all been dealing with.

Pub Olympics

A pub crawl might be one of the most basic and most common team-building outings. It’s not just an excuse for a boozy night out though, there is something essential about spending the evening at the pub. It’s how you really get to know people. With pubs open at Red currently, it’s harder to have a big group outing that feels the same.

Pub Olympics are a great alternative that can be held anywhere, within regulations of course. Pub Olympics combine the camaraderie of having a pint together with all the best pub activities. These include pub quizzes, darts, dominoes, pool or billiards, maybe even some karaoke. This is one team-building activity that might stick around even after the pandemic is over because it’s just such a good time.

Zorbing

This is not a traditional team-building outing, but it is a fun alternative. With the state of the world right now, we could all use a bit of a laugh and going zorbing does just that. It has the added bonus of being perfectly Covid-safe as everyone is enclosed within their own little bubble — literally. Zorb football is the most popular Zorb activity and would be a great choice for creating team bonds, during the pandemic and beyond.