The Elite Insurance Sevens Series is expanding into a new age group in 2016!
From next spring, for the first time Under-18 teams from the East Midlands and Eastern Counties will have the opportunity to participate in a unique tournament run by Northampton Saints, one of the country’s biggest rugby clubs.
The expansion comes hot on the heels of four years of rapid growth at Under-13 level, where the Elite Insurance Sevens Series has been a massive success, with over 3,000 youngsters representing 140 school or club teams.
Under-18 school teams will take part in two regional tournaments in the East Midlands (Wednesday, March 2nd) and Eastern Counties (Wednesday, March 9th), with the top XX teams then heading to Franklin’s Gardens, home of the Saints, for Finals Day.
Rugby Sevens joins the Olympic Games for the first time in Rio de Janeiro next summer, and Elite Insurance group executive officer Barbara Bock hopes that this will be a big inspiration to aspiring young rugby players.
“The Rugby World Cup saw a big spike in interest in rugby, and this will only increase when Sevens joins the Olympic Games in 2016,” she said. “This type of profile can only be good for the sport, and will inspire young players to either take up Rugby Sevens for the first time or look to pursue it to the highest level.
“We’ve seen the interest in the Elite Insurance Sevens Series grow massively over the last few years, a reflection on the hard work done by the Northampton Saints community team, and expanding into the Under-18 age group is only natural going forward.”
“The Elite Insurance Sevens Series is not just for established ‘rugby schools’, and some of the most enjoyable sessions we have are with schools who are new to rugby,” added Saints community coach Will Parkin.
“Sevens is a great introduction to the sport, especially for schools who may not have the numbers to put together a 15-a-side team, and you don’t have to have experience in the sport at younger age groups to succeed – some of the biggest stars on the World Rugby Sevens Series circuit had barely touched a ball before!
“Hopefully the Rugby World Cup and Olympic Games can inspire more young players to take up the sport, and the Elite Insurance Sevens Series can be a stepping stone in their careers.”
To either sign up for the Elite Insurance Sevens Series or book sessions with the Saints community coaches, email Will Parkin at [email protected]
And check out our brand new website, www.elite-rugby.co.uk!
One of the Saints’ Elite Sponsors, Elite Insurance is dedicated to supporting youth rugby in the Eastern Counties and East Midlands. The Elite Insurance Sevens Series gives Under-13 players the opportunity to play a new Olympic sport, with separate tournaments for clubs and schools.
Elite Insurance has evolved rapidly to become one of Europe's leading insurers. A commitment to continual expansion and acquisition enables Elite to offer clients unrivalled expertise in many niche areas of insurance, delivering products quickly, conveniently and competitively.
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The Elite Insurance Sevens Series is the latest in the wide range of age group tournaments organised by Northampton Saints. Over the course of a season thousands of young rugby players in age groups ranging from Under-7s to Under-16s descend on Franklin’s Gardens on first team match days, with trophies and medals handed out on the main pitch during the half-time interval of that day’s Saints game.
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