Tackling their third festival of the season, our Under 8s travelled to Esher for their Autumn Festival. Coach Tom Gowers provides us with his roundup of the day:

The Warlingham Under 8s arrived at the Esher Minis Festival full of confidence and focus, building on the momentum of recent intense training sessions. After reflecting on key lessons from the Guildfordians and Richmond festivals, the squad had spent the previous weeks sharpening their defensive shape, communication, and attacking structure — and it showed from the very first whistle.

Across all three teams, Warlingham started brightly. Their defensive organisation was a clear highlight, with players holding a disciplined, flat line and showing real awareness to avoid the common Under 8s pitfall of “honeypotting” around the ball. The result was a series of composed defensive efforts, forcing opponents wide and creating turnover opportunities through excellent tagging.

As the festival progressed, Warlingham’s attacking play truly came alive. The squad showcased an exciting mix of flair and teamwork — from dazzling individual runs featuring some outrageous sidesteps, to well-constructed team tries that came directly from the patterns practiced on the training ground. It was especially pleasing to see structured play translating into points, a sign of the players’ growing rugby intelligence and understanding of space.

Perhaps most impressive was the cohesion across all three Warlingham sides. The balance within each team allowed every player to contribute meaningfully, with strong communication, support play, and collective spirit on full display. Coaches and parents alike could see the clear impact of the recent training focus, with the young kids demonstrating not just skill, but a real sense of teamwork and discipline.

Overall, it was a hugely encouraging showing from the Warlingham U8s at Esher. The players’ commitment to improving both individually and as a unit continues to pay dividends, and their performances promise even more exciting rugby as the season progresses.

Player focus: Every player can be proud of their contribution — from relentless tagging to sharp running and teamwork. The progress made since the start of the season is clear for all to see.

Coaches’ message: “The work on the training pitch is really starting to show. The boys and girls played with confidence, structure, and real enjoyment — exactly what we aim for at this stage.”

Top bananas for the festival for exemplifying the TREDS values, excellent positioning and pitch awareness and communication with their teammates:

• Conor (Tank)
• Theo B
• Roscoe