First team aces Cory Allen, Lloyd Williams, Ellis Jenkins and new signing Jarrad Hoeata were all on hand to watch the next generation of stars when Cardiff Blues held a huge Under-8s Tag Rugby tournament at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park.
A total of 32 teams from throughout our region descended on the home of the Blues last Sunday as over 400 children got to follow in the footsteps of their heroes and enjoy a festival of rugby on the pitch.
Teams from Merthyr, Cynon Valley, RCT, Pontypridd, Cardiff and the Vale were all in action as the pitch was split into four mini playing areas to host a whopping 115 games on the day!
The pool stages of the tournament were won by Llanharan, Beddau, Abercynon and Old Penarthians before the semi-finals saw two great games of rugby as Beddau and Abercynon triumphed.
A brilliant final between Beddau and Abercynon saw the teams level at four tries apiece at full-time and so the match went to a Golden Try knockout. And it was Abercynon who went over to score the decisive winning try and take the title.
Nadine Griffiths, Community Manager at Cardiff Blues, said: “The festival was a huge success and it was absolutely fantastic to see hundreds of young aspiring rugby players from right across our region get to play at our home and really enjoying themselves.
“The players came down to support the event with Cory, Lloyd, Ellis and Jarrad – just a few days after arriving from New Zealand – signings autographs and meeting all the young players involved.
“It’s wonderful to bring our community together for an event of his magnitude and scale and a huge thank you goes to all the teams that took part and those that gave up their time to support it.
“It’s an exciting time for the Community department at Cardiff Blues as we look to really engage with our region and this was a great way for us to kick-off the season.”