There was fun in the sun on Sunday May 22nd in Aviva Stadium when the Aviva Mini Rugby National Festival took place in the home of Irish Rugby. On Sunday, over 400 boys and girls from twenty clubs all over Ireland, travelled to Dublin to experience the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of playing alongside friends at the famous venue.
The festival saw boys’ and girls’ teams from across the country competing, with representation from Ards RFC, Ballina RFC, Ballynahinch RFC, Bangor RFC, Bruff RFC, Carrick-On-Shannon RFC, Cill-Dara RFC, CIYMS RFC, DLSP RFC, Dundalk RFC, Galway Bay RFC, Nenagh Ormond RFC, North Kildare RFC, Old Crescent RFC, Portarlington RFC, Rainey Old Boys RFC, Richmond RFC, Tuam RFC, Westport RFC and Wexford Wanderers RFC.
Not only did the players have the chance to play on the same surface as their sporting heroes, but they were also joined on the day by Irish internationals Dan Sheehan and Aoife McDermott, who shared some important tips and tricks while witnessing Ireland’s future stars in action.
The players who put on a show at the home of Irish Rugby over the weekend displayed and developed their skills at the Aviva Mini Rugby Provincial Festivals over the past few months. Launched by Irish Rugby legend Ronan O’Gara earlier this year, the Aviva Mini Rugby programme is crucial to the rugby development of young boys and girls across the country, as they get the chance to play against their peers, while learning new tips and tricks, in a safe, non-competitive and enjoyable environment. Over 2,000 children participated in this year’s Aviva Mini Rugby Provincial Festivals, which took place in Cill Dara RFC (All-girls festival), De La Salle Palmerstown FC (Leinster), Old Crescent RFC (Munster), Bangor RFC (Ulster), and Westport RFC (Connacht).
To learn more about the Aviva Mini Rugby Festivals, please visit www.aviva.ie/minirugby, or for more information, follow Aviva Ireland across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates over the coming weeks.
