AFTER sharing the Twickenham turf with some of England’s World Cup hopefuls, Kenilworth head coach Peter Cox admits his under-12 side will not forget their Aviva Premiership Rugby Final experience in a hurry.
As Saracens and Bath Rugby battled it out for Aviva Premiership Rugby glory in Saturday’s final, Kenilworth under-12s also descended on the home of English rugby.
And during half-time, Cox’s youngsters got their moment in the spotlight in front of the sell-out 80,000 crowd as they took part in the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup Parade of Champions.
Their time to shine was a reward for their performances at a Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup festival and Cox believes his team loved every minute of their experience of a lifetime.
He said: “We were here last year and the boys are absolutely thrilled to have the chance to come back again this year.
“They knew what it meant because they have been here before so the joy on their faces when they found out they would be coming back was a real picture.
“It was hugs all around and I think the experience is something that has changed them and it has given them more confidence and they are more committed and interested in the game.
“It’s been a brilliant season and I think it means a lot to the boys that they have had the chance to be a part of such a huge occasion.
“Coming here to the home of rugby is everything to these boys and they have seen the players on the pitch today and taken inspiration.”
Not only did Kenilworth under-12s get to walk on the hallowed Twickenham turf but they also got to meet and hear from former World Cup winner and England captain Lewis Moody.
And Moody admits that he was just as impressed with Kenilworth under-12s as he was with the two teams going head-to-head for the Aviva Premiership Rugby crown.
“Kids need to be inspired and if this is one way of inspiring kids into rugby then I think it’s brilliant,” said Moody.
“By having these kids come to Twickenham, seeing what it’s about and walking out in front of a bumper crowd, it might inspire them to progress further with their rugby.”
Land Rover supports grassroots rugby and provides the opportunity for over 7,000 youngsters to take part in the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup each season. Keep up to date with the latest Land Rover rugby activity by following @LandRoverRugby on Twitter.
