The PJC Ospreys in the Community Beach Rugby Festivals returned bigger and better than ever this year, with pupils from 50 schools across Ospreylia taking part in the three festivals.
Over 1,700 primary school children have taken to the sandat three beaches around Ospreylia in recent weeks as a part of the Payton Jewell Caines Ospreys in the Community Beach Rugby Festivals.
The pupils, from 50 schools across the region enjoyed the recent pleasant weather at festivals held at Rest Bay, Porthcawl, Aberavon beach and Swansea Bay.
Mixed teams of boys and girls, many of whom had never played rugby before, got to experience the sport in a relaxed and non-competitive environment, in the unique surroundings of the beautiful Ospreylian coastline.
As well as taking part in the matches, there were plenty of other activities for the children to get involved with, with Aspire2Be running digital sessions, showing them how to create short films on rugby skills, and Swansea Sports running Rugby Pump sessions at the Swansea festival.
Tom Sloane, Community Coordinator, Ospreys in the Community, commented on the success of the three events:
“It’s been another fantastic few days of beach rugby at the festivals, and it’s great to see more primary school pupils than ever before joining us to take part. With many of the young boys and girls having never played rugby before, we hope it’s given them a great taste of the sport, and even encourages them to look into joining their school team, or a local club side in the future.
“Alongside our own Ospreys in the Community team, we also had pupils from Comprehensive Schools across the region helping to referee the games, and we’re really grateful to them for volunteering, as without them these events wouldn’t be able to go ahead. We’re also thankful to the British Army and the Physical Activity Sport (PASS) Team from Neath Port Talbot for their help with the festivals.
“This year we’ve also had the support of Payton Jewell Caines, and it’s been wonderful to have them on board. They’ve helped us to make this year’s festivals the most successful and biggest we’ve ever had.”
John Caines, Managing Director of Payton Jewell Caines added:
“These events have proven yet again just how much young people get from the world of rugby. It has been a real privilege to witness first hand the fun and enjoyment everyone had across the three events. We are very proud to have played a part in the festival so thank you to everyone involved."
Meanwhile, with the school summer holidays fast approaching, Ospreys in the Community have confirmed a series of one and three day rugby camps for children of all ages across the region. For more information on the camps, or to book, please click here.