Robbie’s Rugby festival a success despite the rain!
‘So incredibly grateful to everybody who turned up’
THE 11th Robbie’s Rugby Festival has been hailed as a resounding success with more than 1,000 people turning out to back the event raising thousands for charity.
Held at Loughborough Grammar School’s playing fields on July 27, the festival has grown to become the largest 10’s rugby tournament in the Midlands, raising vital funds for two incredibly worthy charities, The Robbie Anderson Cancer Trust and The Jake McCarthy Foundation, inspired by two young men who lost their lives to cancer.
Determined not to be beaten by the elements, players and fans braved the rain for an action-packed day of rugby rivalry, family fun and the famous ‘Party on the Pitch’ in the evening.
This year’s festival saw the appointment of two new ambassadors, present and former England players and brothers, Tom and Ben Youngs. Although his brother Ben was in Italy, training for the upcoming Rugby World Cup, Leicester Tiger Tom attended on day, getting stuck in amid the action, spectating and cheering from the side-lines.
Tom was also called upon to present the highly coveted Cup, Plate and Spoon awards, alongside the Mayor of Charnwood, Coun Brenda Seaton.
He said: “Ben and I are extremely proud to have been event ambassadors for the festival. Although Ben couldn’t make it on the day due to his busy World Cup training schedule, I was able to attend and felt incredibly humbled to be a part of such a special event.
“Having opened the Therapy Room for Ward 27 and Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary earlier this year, it was amazing to see where the funds for these life changing resources were raised. It’s truly heartwarming how the rugby family can come together to make a real difference to people’s lives.”
Towards the afternoon, the rainclouds subsided just in time for the awards presentation, where the winners of the main tournament were announced as ‘Charlie’s Angels’ – captained by Charlie Richarson, who has experienced first hand the fanstatic work on Ward 27 during his recent battle with cancer.
Coincidentally, Tom Youngs’ was also routing for Charlie’s team on the basis that their fathers used to play rugby together back in the day. The winners of the Round Robin tournament were ‘Huge Tackle’ and the Women’s 7s tournament were ‘Coalville RFC’.
Founder of ADDO Events and Robbie’s Rugby Festival, Georgie Fowle said: “We are so incredibly grateful to everyone who turned up on Saturday, despite the weather, to contribute to another successful year of Robbie’s Rugby Festival.
“We are always overwhelmed with the generosity and support we receive for the event and an enormous thanks must go out to the festival committee, our families, loyal supporters and everyone else involved, without whom Robbie’s Rugby Festival would not be possible.”
Robbie’s Rugby Festival will return for a 12th year on Saturday, July 11, 2020. In the meantime, Festiball, the prestigious black-tie event which took place last year to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of RRF, returns this year for New Year’s Eve.