Hundreds of youngsters from across the Bristol Combination enjoyed the latest edition of the Defender Premiership Rugby Cup at Bristol Grammar School Sports Ground.
The annual grassroots rugby event, hosted by Bristol Bears Community Foundation, attracted 32 teams and more than 550 young players from across the region for a competitive tournament.
Bristol Bears first team players Max Lahiff, Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Sam Worsley attended the festival, which is part of Premiership Rugby’s national grassroots rugby programme supported by Defender and delivered by the shareholder clubs.
The events are designed to provide aspiring young players with the chance to play competitive fixtures in a format to aid their development, all within the spirit of rugby’s core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline, and sportsmanship.
Each U11 and U12 team that entered the Defender Premiership Rugby Cup had the chance to win an exclusive trip to the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final at Allianz Stadium, with Clevedon U11s and Cleve U12s set to represent Bristol Bears in May.
Jake Ellis, Community Rugby Manager at Bristol Bears Community Foundation, said: “The Defender Premiership Rugby Cup once again delivered a fantastic showcase of Community Rugby in our region. With 32 teams participating, the event provided a positive festival experience, emphasising Rugby Union’s core values throughout.”
Defender has a proud heritage in supporting rugby at all levels in the UK, with its support for grassroots rugby typified through the Defender Premiership Rugby Cup.
Vital in fostering the values at the heart of the game, the Defender Premiership Rugby Cup is a key part of the grassroots rugby calendar each season.
Since the tournaments inception in 2008, the Defender Premiership Rugby Cup has helped over 100,000 youngsters discover rugby through the annual rugby events, with some realising their dreams of going on to play for Premiership Rugby clubs.
See the full gallery from the festival below.
