The long-awaited Warly Minis Tour 2026 had arrived and our U9s couldn't have been more excited! And whilst conditions were hardly what you would call ‘British Summer’, the wet, foggy weather wasn't going to dampen anyone's spirits, writes coach Aoife Cunningham.

As families arrived at Hayling Island on Friday night the kids were in full holiday mode. They were having the time of their lives playing outside way past their bedtime as parents got checked in and settled into their accommodation, or the bar...

Saturday morning saw the U9s having a well-needed sleep-in, and they grouped together for a training session with a view of the resort lake. They were definitely tired but that didn't deter their enthusiasm for getting muddy and running through some rugby drills. The coaches also flexed some of the tour rules by shouting "Andy's coming" and "Dead ants" to test out kids’ reactions and dedication to the tour experience. It was fantastic to see all the age groups training on whatever surface they could find. The caravan park had a lovely heated pool, which saw lots of the children visit in the afternoon, followed by a fair few impromptu hot tub parties across the site!

Kangaroo court was next on the itinerary which saw the coaching team eat "cat food" and other interesting delicacies for their “misdemeanours”. The judge and jester handed out many penalties to the kids for their spurious crimes on and off the pitch - with biscuits rather than fake cat food being the consumable for the youngsters! All good fun. Court was all held in full Heroes/Villains fancy dress, and later that evening all 320 Warly visitors were served a delicious hog roast to keep our superhero energy levels up. The play area was a big hit with the kids and parents alike, and an early night was needed after some dancing and bingo.

Havant RFC was the location for the rugby festival on Sunday morning. The U9s were up early and raring to go. The cars were packed and snacks at the ready. We had three teams, who played five matches each. There were a few nerves to start with plus the tiredness from the tour, but a few matches in and the kids’ hard work in the wet, snowy, muddy winter mornings back at base began to pay off.

The ever-supportive parents and spectators witnessed some great performances, hard tackling and running rugby. It was clear the kids understand TREDS, especially when it came to taking advice on things to work on and what they learned from each match. It was a joy to watch the progress within each game and we saw some outstanding rugby. The respect shown to the opposition teams and referees is something they should be proud of. Overall it was a very successful tour finished off with a fantastic festival and very tired children. Roll on Minis tour 2027!