He may have missed out on the chance of walking out at Twickenham, but Rosslyn Park U12 starlet Ben Sibbald insisted he had still loved every minute of his Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup experience.

Launched seven years ago, the grassroots tournament is officiated by Premiership Rugby and run in conjunction with all 12 clubs.

And last week, Harlequins hosted their version of the event, as U12s mini rugby teams met at Farnham Rugby club to battle it out for a place at rugby HQ.

And while Sibbald was not able to lift the U12s trophy for a spot at the home of rugby, his side unable to reach the main final losing out in the knock-out rounds, the 12-year-old remained proud of his side.

“It has been pretty fun. My highlight was definitely scoring a try in the second match,” he said.

“I love rugby, especially when backs use their pace to beat everyone to score.

“It would have been really exciting to go to Twickenham with my team but we could not quite get there, which is a shame.

“I have actually played there before in another tournament and so we got to see the England versus Barbarians game – that was great.

“Rugby is my number one sport – it is such a fast-flowing game and you get the ball a lot.

“It is better than football because they just run around and get paid millions to do it.”

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Watching brief: Harlequins George Robson

Casting an eye over proceedings were Quins first-teamers George Robson and Netani Talei who enjoyed their day watching the next generation, and second-row Robson believes attending the tournament re-enforced his love of the game.

He said: “The event has been fantastic, it’s great to have the chance to come down and see some grassroots rugby. It is always good to remind yourself why you play the game and why you started.

“These kids are all working really hard for each other and then at the end of the game you shake hands, everyone is friends and you move on.

“What has impressed me is the decision-making and the passing of the ball, moving it around, as well as the contact skills.

“I have been down here a couple of times for the tag tournaments and this is a completely different level, the guys are only young but they are going hell-for-leather, so it’s fantastic to see.

“To be involved in any competitive competition when you’re younger acts as a real source of motivation to play and as you can see, the guys are taking it seriously.

“It’s great to see the kids enjoying themselves – that’s the most important thing, playing with their mates. That is why everyone starts playing the game so it’s great to see it is still going on now.”

Land Rover supports grassroots rugby and provides the opportunity for over 7,000 youngsters to take part in the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup each season. Keep up to date with the latest Land Rover rugby activity by following @LandRoverRugby on Twitter.