Ireland and Connacht rugby stars, Kieran Marmion and Mairead Coyne, joined hundreds of minis in Galway Corinthians RFC
Last Saturday, 240 mini rugby players from 15 rugby clubs across Connacht descended on Galway Corinthians RFC to take part in the Aviva Mini Rugby Festival. There, they had the opportunity to meet local heroes, Connacht and Ireland players, Kieran Marmion and Mairead Coyne. The two stars shared their expert knowledge with the enthusiastic young hopefuls of Irish rugby.
The Festival gave teams a chance to develop their skills as they played each other learning new ways to play in a non-competitive and fun environment. Each of the minis received a special medal, and a certificate signed by Ireland rugby stars.
The event was the second of five festivals that will take place across the country throughout the season. Each province will host a festival with hundreds of young players taking part, before the National Aviva Mini Rugby Festival takes place at the Aviva Stadium.
Each team taking part in the provincial Festivals will be in with a chance to play at the National Aviva Mini Rugby Festival at the Aviva Stadium in 2018.
As an enthusiastic supporter of grassroots sports, Aviva will be running a host of activities this season in conjunction with the hugely popular Mini Rugby Festivals. This will include a Pop-Up Festival and competitions on social media for clubs to win training equipment. In addition, Aviva will be giving a selection of clubs a once in a lifetime opportunity to play at half time during the Ireland v Fiji game which takes place in November at Aviva Stadium. To see how your club can get involved go to www.aviva.ie/minirugby and follow #AvivaMinis.
Kieran Marmion, Connacht & Ireland player, said; “With so many home grown players making the breakthrough at Connacht in recent years, it’s fantastic to see these young players here today at the start of their own rugby journey. The event has been a huge success, and it’s clear to see that the kids and their parents will remember this weekend for a long time.”
Mairead Coyne, Connacht & Ireland player, said; “Young girls are now being offered the same sporting opportunities as boys, and I was delighted to see so many girls out here enjoying themselves in a fun environment. The skills on show were very impressive, for such a young age, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these minis go on to play at the highest level.”
Pearse Timothy, Monivea RFC, said; “This was a marvellous chance for our Minis to play against teams from across the province, make new friends, learn new skills, and above all, enjoy an amazing day. We see more than a hundred kids at our club every weekend and seeing them improve and playing the game they love is a joy to watch. As our mantra is, ‘if you think the off load is on try it and if you think it might not be, try it anyway’ I think we brought a bit of excitement to the Aviva Mini Rugby Festival.”
Dave Boland, Galway Bay Rugby Club, said; “Having rebranded the club from Na Bairneachaí to Galway Bay Rugby Club earlier this year, this was a huge event for everyone involved. We have introduced hundreds of kids to the game of rugby over the last 10 years, and we know that the Aviva Mini Rugby Festival is one of the biggest dates for any young player. Our team loved every minute of this festival, and hopefully, this is only the start of their rugby journeys.”
Mark Russell, Aviva Sponsorship Manager, said; “We’re delighted to have seen another huge turnout at the Aviva Mini Rugby Festival in Galway Corinthians RFC. It was wonderful to bring so many teams together from across Connacht, who might not get the opportunity to play each other very often. These Festivals have gone from strength to strength in recent years which shows the continued growth of rugby at a young age and we look forward to another successful season with the Leinster, Munster, and National Festivals all to come.”
For more information on the Aviva Mini Rugby Provincial Festivals then log on to www.irishrugby.ie/avivaminis or email [email protected]
Teams taking part in Connacht Aviva Mini Rugby Festival include:
- An Ghaeltacht RFC
- Ballina RFC
- Buccaneers RFC
- Carrick on Shannon RFC
- Claremorris Colts RFC
- Galway Corinthians R.F.C
- Corrib RFC
- Creggs RFC
- Galway Bay Rugby Club
- Galwegians RFC
- Gort RFC
- Loughrea Rugby Club
- Monivea RFC
- Portumna RFC
- Sligo RFC
