Match Preview

**HERTS COUNTY FESTIVAL**

LIMITED PARKING - ARRIVE EARLY - CAR SHARE IF POSSIBLE -

Timings
The first matches start at 10.00. All other teams will start at 10.20.
Matches will be 8 minutes each way.
We expect the final matches to be finished by 1.30.
It will be very busy. If you aim to arrive after 9.00 then you will probably miss the first games.

Format
It is a waterfall tournament so each team will play 4 matches against similar ability opponents.

Referees
We are going to provide some Herts Society referees but there will not be enough for all the games.
Please can each team email me the contact details for a nominated referee.

Registration/Control Point
This will be situated on the balcony outside the rugby club pavilion.
Teams are asked to register by 9.00.

Herts U13 Festival Invite 2017

Format & Date

This season’s Hertfordshire U13 festival will be held at Old Albanian RFC on Sunday 19th March 2017. The first matches will start at 10.00.
The festival will be an all-inclusive waterfall tournament.
Teams comprise 13 players.
Clubs with too few or too many players are encouraged to form Barbarian type teams with other clubs. If you find your club in that position please let me know and I will try to match you up with other clubs in the same situation

As we proceed with the organisation of the event further details will be posted on our website.

Yours sincerely

Ian Tomlins
Junior Chairman
OAJRFC
07867 971585

The astute amongst you will immediately notice this date clashes with an U13 DPP weekend. This clash only came to light last week. The date of the U13 Festival was set last June avoiding Easter and the National Schools U13 7s competition the following week. David Toon, Chair of Representative Rugby at the Herts RFU has stated individual players can choose between attending the DPP weekend or the U13 Festival. Their place in the DPP programme will not be affected if they chose Club over DPP.

Clearly it is unfair to ask a 12 or 13 year to make such a choice. My recommendation to Clubs, as Chair of the Herts Minis and Juniors Committee, is that Clubs should select all players to play at the County Festival. If all Clubs support the County Festival then no DPP player will lose out (because they will all be at the County Festival playing for their Clubs).

Note: The Age Grade Player Calendar for next season will be issued shortly. This should prevent such clashes occurring again.

Regards,
John Irvine
Chair, Minis and Juniors Committee
Herts RFU
01992 666363