SUFFOLK Sport, Eastern Counties Rugby Clubs and the Air Training Corps have announced a joint touch rugby initiative for four squadrons across the county.

The four squadrons will be working with volunteer coaches from Stowmarket, Ipswich, Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds rugby clubs. 

The outline of the project is that cadets between the age of 13-19 from Bury St Edmunds, Thurston, Sudbury and Ipswich squadrons will undertake a five week training programme with guidance from their towns respective rugby clubs, culminating in a finals night in the sixth week at Stowmarket Rugby club on March 16, where all the teams can demonstrate the skills they have learnt.

The night will include a round robin tournament, medal and trophy presentations with guests from Suffolk Sport, Suffolk County Council and the Air Training Corps in attendance.

Ben Jackson Sports development officer of Suffolk Sport, who created the initiative alongside Matt Drewry of the 301 Bury St Edmunds Air Training Corps, spoke of the scheme that is a funded sports project delivered as part of the Sportivate Programme which runs in Suffolk.

“We have funding from the Sportivate Programme which is aimed at 13-25 year-olds,” he said.

“We have worked with the Air Cadets before and supported them with sporting activities.

“We have been involved in some multi-sport events in the past and myself and Matt Drewry had a conversation about expanding on that, which lead us to think of a touch-rugby competition.

Lee Adamson Eastern Counties RFU Rugby Development Officer said, "This is a great way of linking rugby clubs to the wider communities around them. It also opens rugby clubs to a new group of young people"

“It is also a fantastic opportunity for the cadets to go out and play some touch rugby to get active.”