It was fantastic to see Finchley Minis back in action this weekend, with our U8s, U9s, U10s and U11s all heading away to Chingford RFC for their first fixtures of the new season.

It was a slightly chilly start to the morning – there was definitely some early talk of thermals from players and parents – but by the end we were enjoying glorious sunshine and wondering why we’d brought so many layers!

Most importantly, it was just brilliant to see the children back out playing rugby.

Across all four age groups there were new faces, new players, new kit and plenty of excitement. After the first few weeks of training, getting everyone out onto a pitch against another club was exactly what we needed.

A huge thank you to Chingford Rugby Club for hosting us. Everything was extremely well organised, and we were made to feel very welcome. Although technically a trip into Essex, it’s surprisingly quick around the North Circular, and hopefully this is a fixture and relationship we can continue to build over the coming seasons.

U9s – their first taste of contact rugby

For our U9s, this was a particularly big morning as it was their first ever contact fixture.

After introducing tackling gradually over the first few weeks of training, it was fantastic to see the enthusiasm with which every player got involved. There were understandably a few nerves, but the willingness of the children to have a go, support each other and put what they’ve learned into practice was brilliant.

The format worked perfectly, with three short games giving everyone plenty of opportunities to play, learn and improve as the morning went on.

Our parents were also fantastic – positive, supportive and helpful throughout – and the Chingford coaches and players helped create exactly the sort of environment you want for children’s first experience of competitive contact rugby.

Lots to work on, of course, but that is exactly what these early fixtures are for. Most importantly, the children came away smiling and already looking forward to the next one.

U8s – huge numbers and lots of rugby

Our U8s arrived with a huge squad and got through an enormous amount of rugby.

Dave and the coaching team worked incredibly hard to make sure everyone got plenty of game time, and it was great to see such a big group of children representing Finchley.

Perhaps the best indication of a successful morning was seeing the changing room afterwards – lots of tired, smiling children happily eating their post-match hot dogs!

That’s what Minis rugby is all about.

U10s and U11s continue their development

There were similarly positive reports from our U10s and U11s, who are both adapting to the next stages of their rugby development.

Each new age grade brings new challenges and new laws, with areas such as rucking and the breakdown becoming increasingly important. These early-season fixtures give players the perfect opportunity to start putting those skills into a real game situation.

Again, there was plenty to learn, but lots of really encouraging rugby and fantastic effort across both groups.

Plenty more to come…

This was only the beginning.

We’ve already got lots happening across the Minis this season, including more fixtures, festivals and the possibility of a multi-age-group Finchley Minis tour.

Some of our teams will also be getting another exciting rugby experience very soon with the opportunity to play on Friday night at Saracens.

And away from the pitch, we’ve got plenty to look forward to at Summers Lane too – not least the famous Finchley Fireworks Night, alongside all the other social events that make the club such a great place for players, parents and coaches.

The most encouraging thing from these opening weeks has been seeing new players joining every age group and becoming part of the Finchley rugby community.

Whether your child has played rugby for years or has never picked up a rugby ball before, they’re always welcome to come down and give it a try.

A huge thank you and well done to all our players, coaches, admins and parents – and to Chingford for being such welcoming hosts.