Rugby training indoors usually means forgoing posts and sticking to drills that don’t include kicking drop goals or conversions. But that could all be about to change, thanks to a full-sized portable rugby posts innovation from the home of the All Blacks – New Zealand – that makes it to possible to play the game ‘for real’ on any surface and in any setting.

Developed by sports solutions company Packaworld International, the Rugby Packaposts feature a regulation height crossbar supported by inflatable uprights that are fully rigid once pumped up.

They have already trialled at tournaments and events in the USA but 18 February marked another milestone – their indoor debut at a special rugby training clinic for under-18 girls organised by Rugby UC.

Leading North American rugby retailer World Rugby Shop has become the latest distributor of Rugby Packaposts – the world’s first truly portable rugby posts with a regulation-height crossbar.

The deal makes it possible for rugby competition organisers, clubs, schools and others across the USA to purchase the posts direct from the World Rugby Shop online store, in addition to Packaworld’s USA online store.

Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts said the high-quality inflatable posts could be set up in minutes and would enable training, tournaments and games to brought to more locations. Their versatility allows them to be used on a variety of different surfaces, including synthetic turf where new holes cannot be drilled for permanent posts.

Packaworld has launched a campaign to bring Visually Impaired Rugby to Paralympic Games. 

Run with the support of UK Charity The Change Foundation, the campaign aims to raise the profile of the sport and further its case to be played at the Paralympic Games in future.

“Rugby is a way of life where we are based in New Zealand,” says Packaworld Chief Executive Peter Roberts.

“We’d love to see pathways created for our rugby-mad visually impaired athletes to compete at the highest level globally. If we can get a full scrum of supporters packed down behind us, there’s no telling where the sport can go.”

England’s visually impaired rugby team has triumphed over Japan in the sport’s second ever international test series, hosted in Kumagaya on 14 October.

The three-match series was part of a festival of visually impaired rugby organised by UK charity The Change Foundation to coincide with the Rugby World Cup.

Packaworld’s high-quality inflatable Blind Rugby Packaposts were used throughout the series for player safety and to make setting up the smaller fields used for visually impaired rugby simple.

“I never thought I would be playing rugby with other visually impaired people, let alone playing in Japan during a Rugby World Cup,” said England team Captain Jack Pearce.

Up until recently Tokyo man Kohei Kamiya had never dreamed of playing international rugby. But that is all about to change, thanks to his selection as captain of Japan’s first blind and visually impaired rugby team.

Kamiya will be one of 10 visually impaired players who will represent their country later this year when the Japanese team plays a three-match international test series against the English Visually Impaired Roses.

The series, taking place on 13-14 October during the Rugby World Cup, will be the second ever international visually impaired rugby test series.

Japan Blind Rugby Secretary General Ayako Matsui said the Japanese team was expecting a hard-fought battle against an "experienced and strong" English side.

Children at six New Zealand schools have been side-stepping, tackling, kicking and dribbling their way to fitness with a little help from Packaworld International.

The Wellington-based company provided a set of hybrid football/rugby goals to Wellsford School, Pukeoware School, Turaki Primary School, Grants Braes School, Leeston Consolidated School and Rakaia School after they won a competition on Packaworld’s Facebook page.

The competition called on principals, teachers and send in inspiring nominations for their local schools, outlining why they deserved to win and how the goals would be used.

Pukeoware School in Waiuku received an impressive 15 nominations, more than any other school.