Globe Primary take first place in tag tournament

Globe Primary School won the Tower Hamlets Youth Sports Foundation (THYSF) Tag Rugby Festival at Millwall Rugby Club and collected their trophy from professional rugby player Christian Wade.

Second place went to Marner and Blue Gate Fields took bronze.

The tournament, which involved 40 teams of 10 children from years four and five from schools in Tower Hamlets, was the culmination of an eight-week training programme run by THYSF and the Clifford Chance Rugby Academy.

Some 30 volunteers from the international law firm have been helping to coach around 300 children from 10 schools in the local area to play rugby.

A total of 30 children from the Clifford Chance Rugby Academy will also be selected by Scott Vinnicombe, the RFU’s Rugby Development Officer for a place on Millwall Rugby Club summer rugby camps, with the top three graduating onto Blackhealth Rugby Club’s junior training programme, the nearest high performing rugby club.

Also at the tournament was Dr Sherylle Calder, the sports scientist and performance coach who ran a Skills Zone where children could practise ball skills using apparatus designed to help improve hand eye co-ordination and reaction times.

Chris Willets, Foundation Manager at THYSF, said: “Poverty, cultural issues and a lack of open spaces mean that children in Tower Hamlets are less likely to access sport outside of the school than anywhere else in the UK.

“The Clifford Chance Rugby Academy addresses these issues directly. It takes rugby into our schools where a large number of children get a positive experience of the game, and they feel some engagement with Rugby World Cup 2015 which will see games down the road at the Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in September.”

Jenine Hulsmann, Clifford Chance partner and trustee of the THYSF, added: “The Clifford Chance Rugby Academy has been a great initiative, our people have had lots of fun helping to coach the children and builds on the work we have done in the local community for many years.

“The tournament was the perfect culmination of the programme, and I’d like to congratulate the winning team and those selected for the Millwall Rugby Club summer camp.”

Clifford Chance is the Official Law Firm of Rugby World Cup 2015, the provider of legal services to the Tournament.

The firm’s experience working in the rugby sector including advising World Rugby and Rugby World Cup for a number of years and previously advising on Rugby World Cup 2007.