On Sunday 25th March at Dudley RFC, Worcester Warriors hosted an action packed Under 11 grassroots festival, the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup.
The festival took place on a warm and sunny day, which allowed the teams to show case their skills at their best. The matches played were extremely entertaining for fans, with some fast-flowing rugby on display.
The keenly contested series of matches resulted in a tight Under 11 final, where Worcester RFC were crowned the winners, narrowly winning 1-0 against Bromsgrove RFC. Participating players at the festival also had the opportunity to meet Worcester Warriors players Shaun Perry and James Percival who took time out of their schedules to watch the young teams as well as offer some coaching tips between games.
As well as winning the festival, the young players have also won places in the prestigious Land Rover Parade of Champions where they will be presented to a sell out crowd at Twickenham during the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final next May.
Shaun Perry commented on the festival: “It was a fantastic day at my old club and it was wonderful to see so many young aspiring rugby players enjoying the game. I remember starting my career here and hopefully many of these young boys and girls will turn out for the Warriors in the future. The Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup is a superb event and support from companies like Land Rover is crucial for the grassroots development of our sport.”
The Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup attracts the finest Under 12 and Under 11 teams from the various regions, and as a result, it has continued to build in prestige from its inception, with participation at an all time high. The benefit and enjoyment that the youngsters are clearly deriving from the festivals gives great satisfaction to Land Rover, who had hoped for exactly this when establishing the first ever festivals to be officiated by their long-standing partners Premiership Rugby.
Commenting on the support of the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup, Laura Schwab, Marketing Director of Land Rover UK, said: “We are thrilled that the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup is proving to be such a success and continues to build in momentum and profile for what is now its fourth year. It is a significant initiative which provides a unique opportunity for young players to channel their enthusiasm for the sport and to play in a national tournament. Land Rover’s commitment to rugby now covers all levels of the game, from Rugby World Cup 2011, to supporting the elite of the England Rugby team, as well as the young players of the future, and this is something that we are extremely proud of.”
For more information on the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup please visit: www.premiershiprugby.com/landrovercup