What a day. What a festival. And what an incredibly proud Minis Chair!

My first Medway Minis Festival as Minis Chair is one I honestly don’t think I’ll forget in a hurry. Seeing our club absolutely buzzing, with more than 1,500 young players from 20 clubs across Kent enjoying rugby, friendship and plenty of fun, was something really special.

From the moment the first teams arrived, there was an amazing atmosphere around the club. Pitches full of rugby, excited players everywhere, coaches doing what coaches do, and families cheering from the touchlines. It was loud. It was busy. It was exciting. And it was everything a Minis Festival should be.

For our own Medway players, there were some particularly special moments.

Our Bears’ First Big Adventure
After two years of preparation, our U7 Bears finally got the chance to experience their very first rugby festival.

And where better to do it than at home?

Their Head Coach, Howard Thompson, summed up the day perfectly:

“After two years of preparation, our Under 7s finally got the chance to experience their first Medway Minis rugby festival, and what a day it was! The teams hit the ground running, with plenty of great tags, fantastic tries and some brilliant rugby on display. Every player gave it their all and did themselves incredibly proud.”

Howard also gave a huge thank you to the Bears family for the amazing support and encouragement from the sidelines. The cheering really helped create a fantastic atmosphere.

Judging by the smiles at the end of the day, I think we can safely say the Bears have caught the festival bug!

The Falcons Defend the Fortress!

Our U9 Falcons reached another huge milestone as they took part in their first contact festival. First tackles. First contact festival. At home. In front of the Medway crowd. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Head Coach Pete Cole said:

“It was the Falcons’ first tackle festival and there was no better place to have it than at Medway. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the festival and loved playing with a bit of Medway honour and defending the fortress!”

And that Medway support certainly didn’t go unnoticed:

“The atmosphere was amazing and definitely one of the best-supported festivals the kids have ever had. The Falcons can’t wait to build on the experience and improve their rugby skills throughout the year.”

I have to admit, “defending the fortress” might just be one of my new favourite Medway phrases!

The Jaguars Roar into Action

Our U10 Jaguars had a fantastic festival too, and it was brilliant to hear the positive feedback they received from visiting clubs about the organisation, atmosphere and quality of the day. For Head Coach Danny Williams, the festival was the perfect opportunity for families and supporters to see just how far this group has come:

“For many families and supporters, this festival provided the first opportunity to see the progress the team has made, and the Jaguars certainly did not disappoint.”

The Jaguars showcased months of hard work, determination and teamwork, playing with confidence, skill and a fantastic attitude throughout the day.

Danny was also quick to recognise the people helping the players on that journey:

“Special recognition must also go to our coaching team, whose commitment, passion and expertise throughout the summer have played a huge role in the development of this talented group of players. Their efforts were clearly reflected in the performances on the pitch.”

But perhaps one of my favourite comments from the whole festival came from one of our Jaguars parents:

“For me the last game was special, not because the rugby was immense, even though it was, but the support and the singing and the noise, and that continuing after the game, was really special. No other club does rugby like Medway.”

“No other club does rugby like Medway.”

I think we’ll keep that one!

One Last Minis Festival for Our Tigers

At the other end of the Minis journey came a milestone that felt just a little bit more emotional. Our U11 Tigers took part in their final Medway Minis Festival before graduating into Youth rugby next season. And what a way to finish!

With the sun shining and perfect conditions for some great rugby, Head Coach Ed Hockey was incredibly proud of what he saw:

“We were incredibly lucky to be blessed with glorious sunshine for this year’s Medway Festival, which meant perfect conditions for our U11s to produce some wonderful running rugby in their final festival before graduating into our Youth system.”

But, as with so much of the day, it wasn’t just the rugby that mattered.
Ed added:

“Everyone had a great day and it was so pleasing seeing so many smiling faces across the teams.”

And I think that says everything.
For many of our Tigers, the Medway Minis Festival has been part of their rugby journey for years. Watching them take to our pitches for the final time as Minis, playing some wonderful rugby, enjoying themselves with their teammates and leaving with smiles on their faces was incredibly special.

51 Years and Still Making Memories

This year’s festival also felt extra special as we continue our 51st year of Minis and Youth rugby at Medway, following our 50th anniversary celebrations in 2025. Just think about how many children over those years have pulled on a Medway shirt, run onto our pitches, scored their first try, made their first tackle, found their confidence and, most importantly, made friendships and memories through rugby. This year, our Bears, Lions, Falcons, Jaguars and Tigers added another chapter to that history.

And that makes me incredibly proud.

The Team Behind the Teams

Of course, you don’t bring more than 1,500 young rugby players together without an incredible team working behind the scenes. A massive thank you has to go to our Minis Fixtures Secretary, Laura Krasij. The amount of work involved in coordinating clubs, teams and fixtures for an event of this size is huge, and Laura put an incredible amount into making the whole thing happen. A huge thank you also goes to Dawn Waters and Kent RFU, and to every coach, referee, team manager, parent and volunteer who rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in.

Whether you were organising, coaching, refereeing, helping teams, parking cars, answering questions, supporting from the touchline, singing at the top of your voice or simply stepping in wherever you were needed, thank you. These days simply don’t happen without you.

And when visiting clubs take the time to tell us how much they enjoyed the festival, the organisation and the atmosphere, that belongs to all of you.

One VERY Proud Minis Chair

For me personally, overseeing my first Medway Minis Festival as Minis Chair was exciting, slightly nerve-racking and, ultimately, incredibly special. There was a moment during the day when I could just stop and look around.

The pitches were full. Children were playing rugby everywhere. Families were cheering.
Teammates were supporting one another.And the whole club was alive.That’s what it’s all about.

Children playing rugby. Having fun. Building confidence. Making friends. Being part of a team. And wanting to come back next week and do it all over again.

From our Bears experiencing their very first festival, to our Falcons proudly defending the fortress, our Jaguars showing just how far months of hard work have taken them, and our Tigers producing some wonderful running rugby in their final Minis Festival, there was so much to be proud of.

My first festival as Minis Chair was certainly one to remember.
51 years of Medway Minis and Youth rugby, and we’re still making memories.
And perhaps that Jaguars parent really did sum up the whole day better than any of us could:

“No other club does rugby like Medway.”

I couldn’t agree more.
Super proud. Super grateful. And VERY proud to be Medway.
Joanne Craik
https://www.mrfc.net/photos/2026-minis-festival-1180138.html