Hundreds of youngsters take part in Alnwick Rugby Club's festival of rugby

Alnwick Minis and Juniors Festival festival has grown yearly since it began several years ago, with teams travelling from places such as Durham and Consett to take part.

This year, about 800 players across three age groups – under-seven, under-eight and under-nine – competed against each other to close the season with a bang.

The festival sees the youngsters playing round robin games of 10 minutes each, with each child getting a certificate at the end.

Clubs can send as many teams as they like, with some sending one and others four or five, and in total 85 teams took part across the three age groups, with 15 or 16 clubs involved in each age group.

It is the responsibility of the Alnwick U9s coach to organise the tournament, so this year it was the job of Tim Mather.

He said he had started planning and looking for sponsors in December and that the festival was getting bigger year-on-year, with extras such as t-shirts for sale and food vans.

Tim said: “We had a fantastic day and it was a great way to finish off a busy season.

“It has never been more important to get kids off screens and into grassroots sport.

“The festival is a great example of a sporting community coming together and celebrating a sport we love.”

He added that the weather was kind to them and the pitches were nice and soft because of the rain the night before, which made the rugby more enjoyable for the children.

“I would like to say a big thank you to all the teams that attended, especially those from further afield, and to our main sponsors, George F White and Northumberland Estates, without them none of this would be possible.”

All proceeds from the festival are invested back into Alnwick Rugby club for training and equipment to help develop the cubs, minis and junior players, providing facilities for teams ranging from two to 15 years old.