Fylde Rugby Community Foundation proudly hosted another hugely successful MLD Schools Tag Rugby Festival at Fylde Rugby Club on Thursday 14th May, bringing together young people from across the region for a fantastic celebration of inclusive rugby.
Schools from across Lancashire took part in the festival, including Tor View, Pendle Community, Great Arley, Pear Tree, The Woodlands, Mayfield, St Anne’s, and Holy Cross, with every team showing incredible enthusiasm, teamwork, and determination throughout the day. Students from Lytham St Annes High School also attended the festival, helping to organise the event and referee matches throughout the day, playing an important role in ensuring everything ran smoothly.
The festival provided an opportunity for young people with moderate learning difficulties to enjoy the physical, social, and confidence-building benefits of rugby in a fun, supportive, and inclusive environment. The standard of rugby on display was outstanding, with players demonstrating excellent sportsmanship and teamwork in every match.
After a brilliant day of competition, the final saw a repeat of last year’s showdown between Great Arley and Tor View. This time, however, Great Arley turned the tables to claim victory and be crowned this year’s festival champions after an excellent final between two evenly matched teams.
MLD Programme Lead Ben Turner praised the event and everyone involved:
“It was fantastic to see so many young people enjoying themselves, building confidence, and representing their schools with such enthusiasm and pride. The standard of rugby, teamwork, and sportsmanship throughout the day was brilliant, and events like this show just how important inclusive sport can be for young people. A huge congratulations to Great Arley on their victory, and a massive thank you to every school, member of staff, volunteer, and supporter who helped make the festival such a success.”
The event formed part of Fylde Rugby Community Foundation’s ongoing commitment to making rugby accessible for all and creating meaningful opportunities for young people to participate, develop confidence, and build friendships through sport.
A huge thank you goes to all schools, staff, volunteers, and supporters who helped make the day such a success, as well as Fylde Rugby Club for hosting the festival. Special thanks also go to Wooden Spoon Charity for their continued support of the MLD Schools Rugby Programme and their commitment to supporting inclusive opportunities for young people through rugby.
The festival was another fantastic reminder of the positive impact sport can have in bringing communities together and creating memorable experiences for everyone involved.
