A cold, frosty Sunday morning marked our first set of games after Christmas, with start times sensibly pushed back slightly to allow the pitches to thaw. We headed up to Eton Manor, where we were met with a warm welcome and a lovely set-up — good pitches, a busy car park, a coffee hut on hand, and friendly coaches ready to get going.

Games kicked off at 11am, with Finchley Under-8s fielding one team of 10 players against three different Eton Manor teams. From the first whistle it was clear this was going to be a positive morning of rugby.

The first game was a brilliant example of what we want to see at this age. The Finchley players were quick, enthusiastic and played with real awareness of each other. What stood out most was the teamwork: the children actively worked out who hadn’t yet scored and made a real effort to pass the ball and create space so that everyone could get a try. It was a lovely thing to see and summed up the spirit of the group perfectly.

The second and third games followed in much the same way — great tagging, lots of support play, and visible improvement from game to game as the children worked on their targets: staying on the pitch, passing the ball, and continuing to improve their tagging. The games were all very close, competitive and well matched, and Finchley were delighted to come away having won all three — but more importantly, the children played with respect, energy and smiles throughout.

By the end of the morning, every single player had scored at least two tries, had been fully involved, and had clearly had a fantastic time. That, more than any result, is exactly what we are aiming for.

As always, the parents were incredibly supportive, creating a positive atmosphere on the sidelines, and a big thank you to Eton Manor for hosting us so well. The morning finished in the clubhouse with hot dogs and chips, enjoying a bit of winter sunshine on what had started as a very cold morning.

Matt Hastings
Minis Coach

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