Holt Rugby Club is hosting the Kingswood Festival for the 16th season!
Today has seen 350 kids / 37 teams playing - no snow, rain or gales, but bright sunshine!

These festivals have evolved and grown over the years to the scale of what we see this season – namely a mini-midi rugby festival of over 126 teams representing 20 rugby clubs from 10 counties across the East of England. This year we welcome back a number of clubs, some of whom have made this festival their annual tour venue, and we are grateful for your continued support.

We at Holt RFC, as I’m sure all respective clubs do, believe in rugby’s core values of Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship. As always we urge everyone including players, supporters and coaches to adhere to these throughout the festival. As always, we encourage and applaud all teams, showing respect towards the players and referee’s decisions – as is the rugby ethos, whether we agree with these decisions or not.

Festivals of this size do not just happen, they take a considerable amount of time, effort and planning, all of which is only possible with the help and support off all the volunteers from Holt RFC and those from the visiting clubs who plan the tours – a big thank you to you all.

Special mention has to be made at this point of our Kingswood Committee, lead as always by Nev Drewry, Director of Junior Rugby; this is his 5th year of organising the event. Martin Watts, as Chair of Minis, has kindly volunteered to be taking this on from next year.

Chairman Rob Hughes said: “after 2 years with no Kingswood festival, we have had a fabulous day in the sunshine with 100’s of children doing what they love best and playing in the true spirit of rugby. We are greatly indebted to our own Nev who has organised another brace of fantastic festival days which are enjoyed by so many and have become a key point in so many rugby clubs’ seasonal calendars”.

Ken Swallow (91 years young in May & club member for several years) commented over a pint: “isn’t it wonderful to see all these kids thoroughly enjoying themselves in the Norfolk sunny fresh air, instead of sat at home on their computer games! I’ve spoken to many clubs, they’re all so pleased to be here again.”

If you haven’t had a chance to come along today, then please do come along next Sunday 10th April from 1030, when we are expecting to be 3 x as busy; we look forward to welcoming 850 kids from 90 teams!

Photographs of both Sundays will be available on our website, with thanks to Simon Watson Photography.

Holt RFC would like to thank our main club sponsor for their continued support, Bakers & Larners of Holt. We are also extremely grateful to the following sponsors for their support of the Minis section: Trimingham Leisure Club, Birchwood Building Ltd, Lords Opticians, Lovell Homes, Overton Ltd and Norfolk Post & Beam.

Here’s to a successful festival, good rugby and 2 thoroughly enjoyable days.