As part of Leeds Rugby Foundation’s (LRF) Rugby League Development Plan for Leeds, the Indoor Junior Touch Rugby Programme has continued its impressive progression with U7 aged children from local community clubs shining with their skills.
The programme, which is in its fifth year, works in partnership with Hunslet Hawks Community Department and sees Mini's, U7's, U8's, U9's and U10's boys and girls from junior Community Club's from across Leeds come down to the indoor Leeds Sports Centre and develop their game from a young age.
Watch the highlights package from Saturday’s U7’s Festival Here:
The Festivals are ran on small indoor 3G surfaces with quick turnaround games of seven minutes in length. There are no restrictions to side lines with all mistakes being classed as a turnover, allowing U10s and U11s age groups to grubber the ball on the last tackle. This in turn quickens the games making it more enjoyable for the kids involved.
LRF Community Club Development Officer Sam Horner commented: "As the Indoor Junior Touch Rugby Programme Festivals progress, there is a clear change that the players are now looking for space, communicating more, making use of their speed, carrying the ball in 2 hands and creating 2 v 1s whilst still having fun.
"The bigger players also look for offloads and equally look to pass to their smaller, faster players," he continued.
"This environment will hopefully pave the way for developing skills to take forward into the full contact format. This concept is not a replacement of contact but rather a stepping stone to enrich our young players, keeping them sharp in our winter climate and tracking the players' development."
The final dates for the next Indoor Junior Rugby League Festivals are as follows:
22nd February – U10's
1st March – Mini and U7's
The festival will allow clubs' to enter up to 2 teams per age group. There will be an entry fee of £1.50 per player to cover the facility costs. The events will be run as a 5 a-side festival with 8 team members, meaning 3 players will rest at all times. Registration will be 9.15-9.30am with all games starting at 10am and the festival finishing at 12.30pm.
The day will also include presentations with all players receiving a certificate and a chance to see Ronnie Rhino, Harry Hawk and Leeds Rhinos/Hunslet Hawks players at least once throughout the festival dates.
If you are interested, please email: LRCABooking@leedsrugbyfoundation.org.