Twickers is Sam-thing so special
NEWCASTLE’S Sam Tristan enjoyed the experience of a lifetime as he trod the turf at Twickenham during the Premiership Rugby Final and met legendary British Lion Sam Warburton.
Tristan, 11, who plays for Novocastrians, won the opportunity to rub shoulders with English rugby’s elite after impressing at Newcastle Falcons’ Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup festival.
It was part of a successful series of nationwide rugby festivals, now running for nearly two decades and which have seen more than 100,000 children take part to date – some realising their dreams of going on to play for Premiership clubs.
Each Premiership club hosted a festival last season, the successful under-11 and under-12 teams given the chance to take part in the half-time parade of champions on the pitch at Twickenham and meet a host of Land Rover ambassadors.
Tristan said: “I was very, very excited to be there. You can learn a lot by watching the professionals at work.
“My favourite player is Maro Itoje and I was very proud of my own team as well – we worked very hard to get there.”
Novocastrians’ manager Chris Lucas hailed the performance of his team and was thrilled to have travelled to the home of rugby.
He said: “The lads won the festival on enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship and that is what the club is all about.
“It was a 600-mile round trip for us so the whole club had to come together to raise funds to support us coming.
“The boys have done us proud and just to see them all bonding together as a team it great.
“These festivals are brilliant because they are a focal point.
“The lads come together and play other people outside of the teams we normally would play and it is brilliant to see the respect on the pitch. “