THE DOORS of the Harlow Rugby Club were flung wide open, this time welcoming 14 teams of young and emerging players of tag-rugby during the morning and a staggering 20 teams of girls in the afternoon.

The fifth and sixth events of the month saw the focus switch from the competitive environment to one which focused on developing players’ skills, confidence and understanding of the non-contact game.

As usual with these festivals, the relaxed atmosphere enabled all children to thrive and flourish as coaches, school staff and officials encouraged and explained some of the common rules through match play.

Games were adapted on each pitch to keep scores even, ensure maximum participation and enjoyment; some of the sportsmanship was heart-warming as players and teams congratulated each other throughout.

The 14 teams who participated in the morning were:

Church Langley x 2, Freshwaters x 2, Hare Street x 2, Henry Moore, Jerounds x 2, Milwards, Nazeing x 2, St Nicholas and The Downs

The 20 Girls teams who attended the afternoon were: Church Langley x 2, Cooks Spinney x 2, Hare Street x 2, Henry Moore x 2, Holy Cross, Jerounds x 2, Longwood, Milwards, Nazeing x 2, Pemberley, Potter Street, Purford Green and St Nicholas.

Over the six events held in the last 3 weeks, we have seen 100 teams, around 1000 players, play in more than 200 games, 1400 minutes (23.3 hours) of matches.