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Tag Festival 2006

With Bristol sitting pretty on top of the Guinness Premiership, the next generation of Shaun Perrys and Dan Ward-Smiths descended on Cotham Park RFC to compete in the club’s third annual tag rugby festival.

More than 100 young players from schools in south Bristol gathered at the Failand-based club on Friday 1 December to participate in the fast-moving and non-contact version of the game which was hosted by Cotham Park RFC in partnership with Ashton Park Sports College.

Boys and girls aged between seven and 11 from five cluster primary schools – Ashton Gate, Ashton Vale, Christ Church, Southville and South Street, plus local contenders Birdwell – took part in the festival. Each of the schools received tag rugby coaching in preparation for the tournament which saw Birdwell run out as winners of the year 3 and 4 tournament, Christ Church pick up the year 5 and 6 trophy while the fair play award was presented to Ashton Gate. The coaching has been funded by the Big Lottery Fund, the body responsible for giving out half the money raised by the National Lottery to good causes.

The festival – which first took place in 2004 – is part of Cotham Park RFC’s initiative to encourage young people of all ages and abilities from the local community to take part in rugby.

Fourteen Community Sports Leaders were on hand to provide coaching during the festival, enabling them to complete the Community Delivery unit of their RFU Community Leaders Award.

Coaches from Cotham Park – who have been active at Ashton Gate and Southville schools running training sessions for year 3 & 4 pupils – were also at the festival to pass on specialist tips and advice between matches.

Festival Organiser Chris Meechan said: “The festival is getting stronger every year and its continued success has enabled Cotham Park to continue its programme of taking rugby to the young people in south Bristol.

Tag rugby is a fantastic sport which allows children to enjoy all the excitement of the full game without the physical contact. The players who took part in this year’s festival have, almost without exception, made it clear that they want to continue playing rugby. That can only be good for the game.

Beth Jones, Schools’ Sports Co-ordinator at Ashton Park Sports College, said: “The School Sport Partnership really values the school/club link that has been established with Cotham Park RFC and we look forward to introducing many more pupils to the game of rugby in the coming years.”

Cotham Park has a thriving junior section for players aged seven to 11years. Training is held on Tuesday evenings, with training and matches held on Sunday mornings.

For more information on the Cotham Park Tag Rugby Festival, contact Festival Organiser Chris Meechan on 01275 393697 or Beth Jones on 0117 377 2751.

Photos
Article from RFU Touchline magazine