To top off a wonderful Rugby Season the Kesteven Rugby U12’s were invited to the showcase of English Rugby, the Premiership Final at Twickenham on the 26th May 2018.

As winners of the Land Rover Cup earlier in the season the entire squad, along with the coaches, were invited guests of the RFU and Leicester Tigers. The U12’s were rubbing shoulders with fellow VIP’s (and World Cup Winners) Lewis Moody and Jason Robinson. A pre-game chat with the stars was followed by a tour of the ground and a walk on the Twickenham pitch. The current Leicester Tigers players signed a shirt and this was presented to the Kesteven boys as part of the ceremony. Sam Morgan, the K’s flying winger said ‘my Dad told me Jason Robinson was a great winger and I should watch him. I’ve met him now and I will watch him some more on You Tube’.

At half-time of the Saracens v Exeter final the boys all paraded around the pitch with beaming smiles carrying the Tigers banner. Alex Dickinson and Jack Norsworthy thought the atmosphere was excellent and stated ‘we got clapped all the way around the ground, people were waving and cheering, we loved it’.

Nick Hardy-Gillings who has coached the boys since they were six stated ‘it took me thirty five years to make it to the stands of Twickenham, these boys have made it on to the pitch at twelve, it was a fantastic day and one I am sure they will remember forever’ Marcus Lee who has also coached the kids since they were tots said ‘not only did the boys have a truly memorable day but so did we as parents and coaches; the sun shone, we saw a great days rugby and the boys represented Kesteven brilliantly’.

The ‘Black Army’ converged on Twickenham with 85 players, coaches and fans making their way to support the U12’s. There was a real party spirit with some of the Leicester Tigers fans even dressing up as Exeter Chiefs.

The U12’s now move from the Mini’s to the Junior Section of Kesteven Rugby Club. Kesteven Mini Rugby play on Sunday mornings in Grantham at 10am with age groups from u6 to u12. http://www.kestevenrugby.club/

Photograph: Kesteven Rugby Club U12’s on the Twickenham Pitch.

Kesteven U12 Squad: Ben Buckley, Billy Auckland, Charlie Vickers, Jaques Welham, Charlie Bailey, Jake Baty, Jake Bliss, Laith Travis, Henry Hardy, Harvey Wesson, Jack Norsworthy, Toby Watchorn, Archie Tagg, Dominic Birch, Monty Weaver, Ben Taylor, Benedict Vince, Sam Morgan, Rory Humphries, Josh Brahoua, Oscar Hardy-Gillings , Ed Lee, Theo Milner, Keiran Brumhead, Alex Dickinson, Jack Hall, Charlie Stephenson

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