Portsmouth RFC youngsters compete in Land Rover Cup
JUNIOR stars from Portsmouth RFC are continuing to make waves in youth rugby thanks to their performance at the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup.
They took part at an event hosted by Harlequins RFC to help celebrate the 12th season of the nationwide grassroots rugby initiative.
More than 85,000 children have taken part to date – enough to comfortably fill Twickenham Stadium – providing developmental experience for young players to excel in a professionally run environment.
In the under-11 competition, Portsmouth showed effort and skill but fell short of earning a trip to the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final next June.
Portsmouth’s Jamie Morgan, 10, was still proud of his side’s performances.
He said: ‘I’ve played for the club for about five years and it means a massive amount to me. I’ve made a lot of friends and it’s brilliant to be able to play the game I love alongside them.’
Also competing in the tournament were Fareham Heathens U11s.
Harlequins player Archie White said: ‘The camaraderie on show was brilliant.
“Being able to give back to the community is great for me because rugby doesn’t work without the grassroots.
‘It’s great to be able to give kids these sorts of opportunities and help inspire them.
‘It’s also been amazing to see how inclusive and accessible the tournament was – with girls and boys playing together – and that shows just how impressive the initiative is.’