YOUNGSTERS from High Wycombe Rugby Club and Beaconsfield Rugby Club will embark on the first step towards a dream Twickenham appearance on Sunday as the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup returns for its seminal testimonial season; celebrating its tenth year.

The under-11 and under-12 grassroots rugby festival is part of a series of nationwide events which provide aspiring young players the opportunity to play in a competitive event and meet professional players from London Irish.

With 20 under-11 and 16 under-12 teams competing at Henley Rugby Football Club, High Wycombe and Beaconsfield youngsters will get a true taste of the professional game.

And for London Irish winger Topsy Ojo, there is nothing more important than supporting youth rugby.

He said: “My first ever rugby experience was tag rugby when I was ten years old, playing for Dartford Grammar School back in Kent, that was my very first experience and then I played age group rugby for my school right the way through.

“Grassroots rugby is huge, if you look at the origins of the England squad now, of where they’ve come through, there’s a very obvious pathway.

“It does always start at grassroots so whether you’re four, five, six, seven, or even if you start much later there’s always time and there’s always opportunity and it’s really important that we nurture that as early as possible – for the future of the game.”

In addition to Sunday’s event, one team from each age group will receive a trip to the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final on May 26, where they will meet a Land Rover rugby ambassador, join in a Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup Parade at half-time and hear which of them has won a club MVP award.

The events are designed to provide young players with a chance to play completive fixtures in a format that is appropriate for their ages and stage of development, all within the spirit of rugby’s core values..

And in the decade since its inception the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup has seen more than 70,000 children take part.