Guildford and Chobham attend Harlequins grassroots rugby developmental festivals
Guildford and Chobham took on the Premiership Rugby Cup.
Guildford's under-11s at the Premiership Rugby Cup.
Submitted for publication in the Surrey Advertiser
Surrey rugby clubs Guildford and Chobham travelled to take part in under-11 and under-12 grassroots developmental festivals, where the best teams in the South-East met to lock horns.
The wind and rain swirling across the Surrey Sports Park and Staines Rugby Club did not dampen these future stars showcasing their talents, with hard tackles and sportsmanship prevailing on a memorable morning.
A trip to Twickenham for the Premiership final and a Premiership Rugby Cup trophy were on offer for the winners of the tournament, and Chobham’s U11 star man Edward Carroll fancied his side’s chances.
He said: “I’m really excited about the tournament today. I think we’ve got a really good team and we can definitely win it.
“Winning would be great - we’d all be very happy, but I just love playing rugby, especially the tackling.”
While Guildford’s Thomas McWilliam relished the opportunity to put his preparations into practice at Staines.
McWilliam said: “I'm a big Harlequins fan - I love Marcus Smith - so to be here today is really cool, especially with some of the other Harlequins players here.
“The tournament has been really good. We scored four tries in one of the matches, did some very good rucks and had all the possession. I love the tackling, the running and trying to score."
This series of nationwide events, now running for nearly two decades, has seen more than 100,000 children take part.
The highly-competitive fixtures provide a platform for youngsters to develop their skills, with Harlequins’ Louis Lynagh and Newcastle Falcons’ Callum Chick amongst the many Rugby Cup players who graduated to the Premiership.
Land Rover ambassadors and Quins icons Jack Kenningham and Will Edwards were also in attendance, supporting the teams from the sidelines and offering their experience to tomorrow’s stalwarts of the game.
Kenningham said: “It’s great to see lads coming out and enjoying their rugby, I also played minis back in the day and it’s important to remember the fun you had as a youngster.
“Unstructured rugby gives them a chance to learn their trade and enjoy it because it’s all about enjoyment at this age. I’m sure they’ll kick-on years to come.”
Edwards added: “The best way to learn in any sport is to play, and this is a great opportunity to learn about yourself, your teammates and just have a bit of fun.
“I played in one of these tournaments at the Stoop and those memories stick with you, so I’m hoping this will do the same and give them all a boost for playing professional rugby.”
Land Rover has been supporting grassroots rugby in the UK for nearly two decades, through the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup. Follow the latest Land Rover rugby activity on Twitter @LandRoverRugby #DiscoverRugby
The Surrey Advertiser covers areas including but not limited to Guildford, Cranleigh, Godalming, Woking, and Elmbridge in Surrey.
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