A day after England brought the Rugby World Cup to Manchester, the next generation of talent were proving the future is indeed bright as Sale Sharks hosted their Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup.
England racked up 10 tries at the Etihad Stadium as Uruguay were brushed aside 60-3 in their final Rugby World Cup 2015 game on Saturday, and the action was just as fast paced as attentions turned to Manchester Rugby Club for the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup 24 hours later.
In total, more than 7,000 children will participate over the course of the season as they go in search of a spot in the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup Parade of Champions during half-time of the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final at rugby HQ.
There were plenty of potential stars on show on Sunday at Manchester Rugby Club, with more than 30 different teams taking to the field in under-11s and under-12s tournaments.
So hotly contested was the under-12 competition that the two teams which booked their spots at the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final Bowdon and Warrington could not be separated in their showpiece.
“We have done amazingly to get so far and do so well,” said Bowdon’s Jack Ryan.
“We played well all day and it’s so exciting to know that we have the chance to go and watch the Aviva Premiership Final.
“We played some really good teams, all the team have enjoyed the day and it’s something that I think we will remember forever.”
Warrington’s Sam Morgan added: “I think that we have done so well today to get all the way to the final and then to draw against a really good side.
“It’s been so much fun to come here and play with the team and to put in some good performances and play some good rugby.
“I think we can all be really proud of how well we have played and the chance to go to Twickenham for the final is amazing.”
Celebrating a trip to Twickenham in the under-11s were Stockport, who got the better of Chester in their final.
“I feel very excited that we have done so well in the cup especially after playing Chester because we have had a lot of hard battles against them,” said Stockport’s Daniel Robinson.
“We’re dead excited to go to Twickenham, everyone will be really excited, and we get to be in front of the crowd at Twickenham.
“I think we did well today because we battled well, we did much better than we have recently and we were very good at doing the quick ball, which is how we scored right at the end.
“Discipline and respect were very important to us too. Our coaches drum that into us. We’ve very grateful for the support too.”
Sale Sharks were out in force to support the day, with four of their players – including Danny Cipriani and Mark Easter casting an eye over proceedings.
Cipriani insists it was amazing to see the game alive and well and says he saw plenty of potential in the young guns.
“It’s nice to see the kids because it’s what it is all about and when I was younger you didn’t really see too many senior players around so this is an honour,” he said.
“It was always an inspirational thing for me every Sunday to meet up with my mates playing rugby and that’s what got me into it.
“A lot of the England team are northern and there is a big influence on the game up here so it’s amazing to see so many kids out here today.”
Land Rover is a proud supporter of grassroots rugby and a partner of the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup for nearly a decade. Land Rover’s ‘We Deal In Real’ campaign aims to champion grassroots rugby on the global stage during Rugby World Cup 2015. Follow @Land RoverRugby #WeDealInReal.
