Dear Club Contact
This document is aimed at answering some basic questions regarding the Manchester Mini & Junior Festival
Dates
Under 7s to U10s Sunday 1st October 2017
Under 11s & U12s Sunday 8th October 2017 (Land Rover Cup)
Entry Form
We can only accept one entry form per club. Each club will need an appointed co-ordinator to collate the entries from each age group and then submit. Entry forms will be preferably completed electronically as handwriting can often be misleading.
Squad Sizes
Please note for U7s & U8s there will be two games simultaneously. Each squad will have two matches on two adjacent pitches at the same time. A squad will need a minimum of 8 players for Under 7s and 12 players for Under 8s
It is the responsibility of the coaches to give all players fair playing time and to not over play players.
U7 / U8 / U9 / U10 / U11 / U12Number of Players / 4 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 12
Total in Squad / unlimited / unlimited / unlimited / unlimited / unlimited / unlimited
Festival Format
Kids First Rugby – Under 7s – Under 10s
Kids First Rugby is the new approach to the way the game is played at rugby clubs across England. It is a programme of coaching and playing that puts the child at the centre and moves on at the child’s own pace and development, enabling more children to experience success. Manchester is a Kids First Rugby Club and our 2016 Festival will uphold these principles
TEAMWORK, RESPECT, ENJOYMENT, DISCIPLINE & SPORTSMANSHIP
There will be NO WINNERS and hence NO LOSERS in the u7s to u11s Festival 2016
The U7s to U11s Festival will be played in a Round Robin Format within Pools
There will be no Knockout stage following the Pool Games.
Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup – Specific to Under 11s & Under 12s
The Festival 2017 will operate with the following structure
U12’s - will operate a traditional tournament with a Pool and subsequent knockout stage or a Waterfall dependant on entry levels. Both Formats will provide equitable game time for all teams attending. A cup will be presented to the overall winners, who will also win tickets to the Aviva Premiership Final at Twickenham.
U11’s – will operate on a Festival format with no overall winner. The festival format will be a Round Robin Pool based Festival and will provide equitable game time for all teams attending.
All teams playing in the U11 event will have an opportunity to be selected to win a prize of a trip to Aviva Premiership Final at Twickenham courtesy of Land Rover. This prize will be randomly drawn during the U11 prize giving. There will be no cups and medals awarded for the U11s and a Certificate of Achievement will be awarded to all participants.
General
Priority will be given to clubs who enter teams in all age groups, on a first come first serve basis, plusclubs who have attended and supported us in the past. With the nature of age groups and player numbersthere will always be gaps which we will fill accordingly.
In 2016 we had up to 24 teams in the 7s-10s festivals and 20 teams in the 11s and 12s.
More information regarding the festival will be available nearer the time but the formats will be in line with RFU regulations.
I look forward to receiving your entrance forms and welcoming your teams to MRC in October.
Kind regards
Tim Holmes
Mini and Junior Chairman - Manchester Rugby Club