MINCHINHAMPTON Rugby Club youngsters will take part in a nationwide festival this weekend at Dean Close School in Cheltenham as Gloucester Rugby look to uncover the next generation of Aviva Premiership Rugby stars.

The Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup is a nationwide series for U11 and U12 teams, with over 30 teams from Gloucestershire and the surrounding area on Sunday, including the likes of Painswick and Stroud rugby clubs.

The teams on display will be hoping to get their hands on a once in a lifetime opportunity to head to Twickenham for the Premiership Rugby Final on May 27. The successful team will get to meet a 2003 Rugby World Cup winner at the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final 2017, take part in a parade at half time on the hallowed Twickenham turf and one player from each team will be awarded with the Land Rover MVP award.

“Rugby in the West Country has a strong history in producing rugby talent; each year Gloucester Rugby’s Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup confirms the future is just as bright,” said Cherry and Whites’ half back Billy Burns, who has represented England at U20 level.

“The rugby festival is hugely important in teaching youngsters the core values of the sport, as well as giving the U11 and U12 teams meaningful fixtures to play in.”

The long running grassroots rugby programme, supported by Land Rover, since its inception, was the first of its kind to be officiated by Premiership Rugby and is run in conjunction with all 12 Premiership Rugby clubs.

Youngsters attending the event in Cheltenham this weekend will have the chance to meet and learn from Gloucester’s Premiership players, who will be hand on to offer advice and guidance.

The Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup has seen nearly 68,000 children take part to date, from all over the country, providing opportunities for U11 and U12 players to play, develop and excel in the game.

The festivals around the country celebrate rugby’s traditional core values of team work, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship, rewarding players conduct, side-line behaviour and game play. The Land Rover MVP award winner will embody all of these attributes.

“I am a huge supporter of growing the game and supporting the pathway from grassroots to elite,” added Burns. “The Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup is vital for this.”

Land Rover is a proud supporter of grassroots rugby and has been a partner of the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup for nearly a decade. Land Rover’s ‘We Deal in Real’ campaign continues to champion grassroots rugby through Premiership Rugby and the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup. @LandRoverRugby #WeDealInReal.