Newark Rugby Club's youngsters thrive as Land Rover Premiership Cup returns

With normality returning to the UK after a tough few years for sport, young rugby talent from Newark were able to play in one of the biggest junior festivals in the country as the Land Rover Premiership Cup touched down at Leicester Tigers.

Oakham Rugby Club hosted the under-11 and under-12 grassroots developmental festival last Sunday as youngsters got the opportunity to lace up their boots.

And for Newark Rugby Club’s star player Thomas Alcock, it was a memorable experience as his side showed some incredible talent against tough competition.

Alcock, 12, said: “I’m very excited to be here with my team today. I love rugby because it’s fun, and playing with all my friends. We have a lot of teamwork.

“I just love everything about rugby — I go and watch Doncaster on a Saturday sometimes to support them.”

The series, of nationwide events, has been running nearly two decades and is organised by Land Rover — the official vehicle of Premiership Rugby.

It has seen more than 100,000 children take part to date, with some realising their dreams of going on to play for Premiership Rugby clubs.

There will be an under-12 ‘winning’ team at each festival, with the prize being a Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup Trophy and a trip to Twickenham for the Premiership Rugby Final, with the successful under-11 team based on their demonstration of the core values of the game during the festival, respect, togetherness, strength of character and composure.

Graduates of the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup have gone on to realise their rugby ambitions, with several players now playing for Premiership Rugby clubs, including Louis Lynagh at Harlequins and Callum Chick at Newcastle Falcons.

Tigers players and Land Rover ambassadors Dan Cole, Sean Jansen and Nephi Latigaga were on site to express the importance of such opportunities.

Cole said: “It’s brilliant for the game to have tournaments like this. Off the back of England and the Six Nations, and a big Super Saturday, and now kids out today playing just shows what rugby is all about - the core foundation of the game is the grassroots part of it, and I think it’s good for Tigers and everyone to support it.

“The Land Rover festivals have been going for over a decade now, and a lot of guys in our academy now and our first team now have been through our systems so it’s really good to be here.”

Fresh off his debut last Friday with Tigers, Jansen said: “It’s cool to see these young players having such a good time playing rugby, and one day they could be playing for Tigers, so it’s brilliant to have these pathways in the UK.”

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