The success of the Malvern Hills District Tag Rugby festival for the Upton cluster of primary schools is the latest step towards establishing a "rugby club" to serve young people in the communities in the southern end of the Malvern Hills district.
Upton-upon-Severn and the surrounding villages are brimming with youngsters who are desperate to play organised sport at any level and with the exception of the highly successful Welland Juniors FC, there are very few established sports organisations offering outlets for youngsters aged between seven and 17-years-old to join.
Malvern RFC's Youth Develop-ment Section has monitored the requirements of young people in the Upton cluster for the last six months.
The organisation has spoken to teachers, parents, council officials and young people and has come to the conclusion that setting-up a "rugby club" for youngsters based at The Hill Centre would be a major step forward towards helping to establish organised youth sport in this rural district of the Malvern Hills. Indeed, the district is a "sleeping giant" with a wealth of talented youngsters itching to play organised sport at accredited sports clubs within easy reach of their homes and Upton-upon-Severn is where the youngsters have said they would like the clubs to be based.
Malvern RFC has, through its community funds, provided kit and tag-belts to The Hill Centre and tag-rugby coaching courses for the Upton cluster teachers. Over the next two months, the youth rugby coaches from Malvern RFC and staff from The Hill Centre will be keen to bring together enthusiastic parents, teachers or community sports people from right across the south of the Malvern Hills district to throw their weight behind a "youth rugby club" to bring tag rugby, in the first instance, and then the contact version of the sport to the girls and boys of the Upton-upon-Severn district.
Malvern RFC hopes that Upton rugby club will also become part of the venture which will then enable the North Midlands RFU and the Worcestershire All Sports Partnership (WASP) to provide the extra resources to help the fledgling "youth rugby club" to get the backing of the RFU.
If there is anyone living in Upton or the surrounding villages who would like to help Malvern RFC and The Hill Centre to establish a "rugby club" for youngsters, they should contact 07710493468 or email Malvern RFC YDS on malvernrugbypost@hotmail.com.
The first meeting will be held at The Hill Centre on Wednesday, May 7.
Gary Tolley, chairman of youth rugby, Malvern RFC, Spring Lane, Malvern Link.
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