Exeter youngsters impress at Rising Stars Festival hosted by Exeter Chiefs

Exeter’s budding rugby talent made their mark at the Defender Rising Stars Cup on Sunday, as young players from Exeter Athletic RFC and Exeter Saracens RFC joined hundreds of others for a day of competitive grassroots rugby hosted by Exeter Chiefs at West Buckland School in Barnstaple.

Nineteen clubs from across the West Country took part in the Under-11 and Under-12 festival, which aims to give young players the chance to experience a professional-style match environment and face teams they would not normally play. 

Exeter Athletic RFC celebrated a major highlight, being crowned champions in the Under-12 competition.

The annual festival focuses on rugby’s core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment and discipline. For many children, it was their first taste of playing in a large-scale event. 

READ NEXT: Santa returns to Exeter as West Lions kick off festive charity collections

Parents filled the sidelines, cheering on tightly-contested matches that showcased impressive skill, enthusiasm and team spirit from players as young as ten.

Exeter Chiefs players Kane James, Ben Coen and Finn Worley-Brady spent the day watching games before presenting awards. 

“What a great day,” said Kane. “It’s impressive to see not only great skill and passion on the pitch but also teamwork and respect. Many of these players are right at the start of their journeys, but they’re already showing the qualities needed to grow the next generation of the game.”

The festival is part of a long-running national programme organised by PREM Rugby and supported by Defender, which has helped introduce more than 125,000 children to the sport since 2008. 

Vertu Land Rover Exeter is one of the local partners backing the event, with General Manager Dean Bessant saying the values shown on the day reflect the community spirit the company is proud to support.

For the young Exeter players, Sunday proved memorable for more than just the final scorelines. Exeter Athletic’s Henry Benthall said the squad was “really proud” after winning the Under-12 cup. 

“We just tried our best. We played teams we’ve never faced before as well as some of our closest rivals. We had a great day,” he said. 

Coach Sam Williams said the festival gave his team valuable experience: “It’s their first go at a bit of competition, which brings something different and helps them learn the pressures of the game.”

Exeter Saracens RFC also fielded young players brimming with enthusiasm. Under-11 player Darcy Dyer said: “It’s been really good that we've all been able to play a match together. People are really good at rugby and the other teams have really brought their A-game.” 

Coach Mor Segev praised both the standard of play and the atmosphere, calling it a “friendly, passionate day of rugby”.

The Rising Stars Cup continues to support the development of grassroots rugby across the country, offering opportunities for young players to build confidence, gain experience and connect with the wider rugby community.