St Albans enjoyed a cup double as more than 200 stars of the future attended the inaugural Cardiff Rugby Community Foundation Sevens.
The open event for club teams all across Wales was launched to give community clubs at Under-13 and Under-14 level the best possible pre-season kick-starter.
With more than 200 young players in attendance, there were surely some stars of the future playing at the Arms Park for the first time - but possibly not their last either.
St Albans won both cup competitions with Llantrisant winning the Under-13s plate and Rhiwbina the Under-14s plate.
The event was organised and led by the Community Foundation and ran without any hiccups as players and supporters alike enjoyed an unforgettable experience at the Arms Park.
Foundation Director, Nadine Griffiths, expressed why it’s so vital for days such as this to bring young aspirational rugby players to the Arms Park.
She said: “It’s great to have a day like this, with great representation from right throughout the region, but it’s all about providing the opportunities - so giving these children the opportunity to take the same field as their heroes and to make memories, more than anything.
“The cherry on the cake is if you get to win either the Plate or the Cup competition - to raise the cup and celebrate with all your teammates.”
It should undoubtedly make memories to last a lifetime for any young player and their families, but it also served as perfect preparation for the season ahead.
Community Manager Bronnie Jones added: “Community rugby is all about everybody that comes along, the fans, the supporters and it’s great to see so many today. We’ve got sixteen teams here altogether, so seeing all the families come out in force to cheer on their teams here at the Arms Park - we couldn’t ask for anything else.
“For us, it’s a pre-season event that these clubs can take into their upcoming season, winning something like this before the season starts is a massive boost isn’t it? It’s something for them to start their season on a high.”
Congratulations to St Albans RFS for coming out as champions of both the U14s and the U13s competitions, with Rhiwbina RFC and Llantrisant RF coming as runners up for the U14s and U13s respectively.