The U10 team entered the Prima Tigers Cup festival day at Newark last Sunday. Unfortunately this meant missing out on our planned trip to Paviors with the rest of the Minis but it was a worthwhile and enjoyable experience for everyone involved (even the weather was kind).

15 players were available on the day and we played 5 matches against local teams including a couple of teams we'd not played against before. Always nice to see familiar faces from other coaching teams from our age group, some of which we've managed to play regularly since U7s, even with the two COVID impacted seasons. We were extremely proud of the players who played their hearts out but also conducted themselves exactly as we expected, helping teammates and opposition players up, congratulating, fist bumps, respecting the officials, hand shakes as well as some fully committed play from the very first whistle. The evidence of the TREDS values was there to see but what is most satisfying is that it's part of the fabric of the team and the wider club.

The competition awards good play and we played at a high tempo but with some incredibly effective tackling and defence. The competition equally focusses on teams (players, coaches and parents) displaying the TREDS values of the game, it's something that we promote extensively in the team and across the Club so it felt right to go for it, even though we only applied very late in the day.

All of the team had a fab time and the organisation from Tigers was good, as were the playing facilities at Newark RFC. Well done to the Tigers staff for the arranging and officiating the competition, to Newark for hosting and to everyone who played on the day, it was all done in the right spirit and there were some excellent group photos with the Gallagher Premiership trophy throughout the day. For the U10 coaches, it was nice to stand back and watch the team on match day and we'll take lots away for training but also from how the matches were refereed too.

Lots of photos can be found here

About the Cup

The Prima Tiger Cup, supported by Prima Solutions Ltd, enters its 29th season of commitment to junior rugby and Leicester Tigers in 2022/23, making this event even older than the Premiership or the European Cup.

Each year, Leicester Tigers invite Under-10s teams to take part in regional festivals across our community regions, championing the true ethos of rugby union.

Throughout these regional events Tigers champion those clubs – their players, parents, coaches and supporters – who display the core values of rugby (teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship) on and off the pitch.

In keeping with the RFU Age Grade Regulations and guidelinesk, our Fair Play Scoring System rewards positive behaviours and attitudes with the teams who excel at the festivals being invited to take part in a series of games on a later date at the Tigers’ famous Mattioli Woods Welford Road, providing a fantastic experience to all young and aspiring players.

Attracting more than 70 entries each season, the Prima Tiger Cup is the largest and most prestigious single-age playing opportunity in the rugby calendar.