TOWCESTER Rugby Club under 12s will join a host of Gallagher Premiership stars in June after securing a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Twickenham thanks to their performance at a Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup event this weekend.

The Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup, a nationwide series of events now running for more than a decade, has seen more than 82,000 children take part to date and continues to grow, providing developmental experience for young players to excel in a professionally run environment.

This weekend it was Northampton Saints’ turn to host their event this season with Franklin’s Gardens the venue on Saturday with 12 teams strutting their stuff at the under-12 festival.

And Towcester were rewarded for their effort and skill with a trip to the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final on June 1, where they will meet a Land Rover rugby ambassador, and join in a Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup Parade at half-time, plus find out who has won the Junior Land Rover Discovery of The Season award.

Ben Sutton, from Towcester, was excited to be there on the day and thanked Northampton Saints for giving him a special day at Rugby HQ to look forward to.

“It was really amazing to win. We go into every tournament aiming to win and we pulled it off,” he said.

“It’s incredible that we are going to Twickenham to play on the pitch. I’ve been to watch but playing on it is going to be really good. I never imagined that I would ever get to play there.

“This tournament is a great way to start the season.”

Participating players at the festival also had the opportunity to meet Northampton players Toby Trinder and James Fish who took time out of their schedule to watch the young teams as well as offer some coaching tips between games.

“When I was younger I played in these kinds of tournaments every summer and they are a great way of getting stuck in,” said Trinder, who recognises the importance of grassroots rugby.

While Fish added: “I never got the opportunity to play in these kinds of tournaments when I was growing up, so it’s great that these tournaments are being run.

“At this age you have got to learn how to tackle properly and where to put your head in tackles.

“It’s great that they can learn about contact rugby at this age.”

Land Rover has heritage in rugby at all levels; from grassroots to elite, sharing and understanding the values at the heart of the game. Follow @LandRoverRugby