Melton RFC juniors book place at Twickenham showpiece final

They will join a host of Premiership stars at Headquarters in June after enjoying success at a regional round of the cup event, hosted by Leicester Tigers at Oakham on Sunday.

A total of 36 teams were involved in the festival for under 11s and under 12s sides.

Melton were rewarded for their effort and skill in the U11s competition with a trip to the Premiership Rugby Final on June 1, where they will meet a Land Rover rugby ambassador, and parade around the national stadium at half-time.

Melton’s Logan Box said: “I feel excited because I’ve never been to Twickenham to watch a game, it’s the first time.

“We had tough games today, really hard, but had a good time with my friends.

“With my team-mates, hopefully we’ll have a great time there. For me I feel like we’ve done really well.”

Players at the festival also had the opportunity to meet Leicester Tigers players Dan Cole and Matt Smith who took time out of their schedule to watch the young teams and offer some coaching tips between games.

“It’s great,” Cole said. “You look at how many kids are here today, how many teams are here and how much they’re enjoying rugby; that’s what it’s about.”

Smith added: “This is where Dan and I started and there’s a few good players out there as well.

“We’ve been emphasising the enjoyment for all the young players as well, but I’m sure there’s a few future Leicester Tigers out there.”

* Land Rover has heritage in rugby at all levels; from grassroots to elite, sharing and understanding the values at the heart of the game. Follow @LandRoverRugby