SINGAPORE — More than 14,000 students from 140 primary and secondary schools will get to try their hand at playing a simplified version of rugby, as the Singapore Rugby Union (SRU) kicks off Tag 7s, a school outreach programme to get more children and teenagers playing the sport.

With the HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens set to return to the Republic next April after a 10-year hiatus, the national sports association is keen to raise the profile of the sport and help develop the local scene and players.

Starting this month, Rugby Singapore — the events and commercial arm of the SRU — will roll out an eight-month long programme to promote the sport. This will include the Tag 7s and the Heroes in the Making development programme — for both local and international schools — which will see selected under-16 school players getting the chance to attend training clinics conducted by local and international coaches and players here in Singapore for the Rugby Sevens.

Two lucky teenagers will also enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to attend elite training programmes at leading rugby unions in South Africa, Japan and New Zealand.

The SRU are hopeful that hosting the prestigious Singapore Rugby Sevens will leave a lasting legacy here, as Douglas Danapal, SRU’s business manager, said yesterday: “There is no point in hosting a world-class, international event without growing the sport locally.

“The purpose of all these is to build a strong national team, starting by introducing the sport to young students, and giving an additional helping hand to those who show talent.

“We also want these kids to know that there are opportunities to go overseas to train if they do well, and play alongside the rugby greats in the world in such an event. We want to organise a tournament for the under-14s, under-16s and under-18s alongside the Rugby Sevens tournament.”

Hosted at the 55,000-capacity National Stadium on April 16 and 17, the Singapore Rugby Sevens will see the best Sevens players from 16 countries, including powerhouses Fiji, New Zealand and South Africa, battling for honours on the field. Singapore is the eighth stop on the 10-leg World Rugby Sevens Series, which ends in England’s Twickenham Stadium in May next year.