The Ospreylian coastline provided a stunning venue for the fifth annual beach rugby festival, with over 1,000 primary school children making light of the unseasonal weather.
Every primary school in the region were invited to participate at one of three local events and, although torrential rain forced the postponement of the Aberavon event last week, this week saw more than 600 taking part at Swansea Bay while a further 450 enjoyed the fun at Rest Bay in Porthcawl.
Mixed teams of boys and girls, many of whom were playing rugby for the first time, enjoyed the chance to enjoy the sport in a relaxed and non-competitive environment, in unique surroundings, hosted by Ospreys in the Community.
A total of 107 teams from 44 separate schools took part in a total of 210 fixtures across the two events, with volunteers from Swansea University and Bishop Gore and Porthcawl Comprehensives helping to deliver two hugely successful mornings of rugby.
Paul Whapham, Foundation Manager, Ospreys in the Community, said:
“Once again, the beach festivals organised by our community coaches have been a huge success. It’s fantastic to see both the children and school staff fully engaged, with many of those taking part enjoying their first taste of rugby action.
“We have a fantastic local environment so it’s great that we can take advantage of the landscape to provide an inspirational venue for physical activity. These great beaches allow us to take rugby away from muddy pitches and place it somewhere that children love being.
“Off the back of that, we are able to engage with the pupils and encourage them to take a greater interest in the game, be that playing or supporting, helping to grow rugby at junior level. That is crucial to the future of the Ospreys.
“The rain may have wiped out the Aberavon festival but the events at Swansea and Porthcawl proved as popular as ever. We look forward to next year’s event being even bigger and better.”
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 details of the three day summer camps please click here or to find more about one day camps click here .