Havant talents relish trip to Twickenham as they meet Martin Johnson at Premiership Rugby finale

Thanks to their involvement with the latest season of the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup, Havant’s under-11s headed to Twickenham on Saturday where they shared the turf with World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson.
By Dave Brawn
Published 4th Jun 2019, 17:13 BST
Updated 5th Jun 2019, 13:29 BST
Land Rover Ambassador Martin Johnson with Havant RFC under-11 team at the Exeter Chiefs v Saracens Premiership Rugby Final. Picture: James Robinson.Land Rover Ambassador Martin Johnson with Havant RFC under-11 team at the Exeter Chiefs v Saracens Premiership Rugby Final. Picture: James Robinson.
Land Rover Ambassador Martin Johnson with Havant RFC under-11 team at the Exeter Chiefs v Saracens Premiership Rugby Final. Picture: James Robinson.

That came after they secured their spot at the showpiece event the Gallagher Premiership Rugby season when they took part in the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup festival hosted by Harlequins, writes Ella Jerman.

Their reward for the efforts also included the chance to watch Exeter Chiefs and Saracens battle it out for the title as well as meeting with former England star Johnson pre-match.

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Havant player Ethan Richardson, 11, was awarded the honour of being nominated for the Junior Land Rover discovery of the season award.

He said: ‘I’m so pleased to have been nominated for the award and find out at Twickenham.

‘I have been to Twickenham before for an England versus Barbarians game, but I’ve never been at the Premiership Rugby final so it’s going to be really fun.

‘It was a long journey to get here so we’re really proud of ourselves. We’ve worked hard together as a team, but we have fully enjoyed ourselves along the way.

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‘We’ve built really good friendships during the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup and we have loved making those memories.’

Havant under-11s were one of 24 under-11 and under-12 teams in attendance for the final – representing two sides for each age category from the festivals hosted by each of the 12 Gallagher Premiership Rugby clubs throughout the season.

This is the 11th year of the national grassroots rugby initiative, with more than 85,000 youngsters participating in the event to date – enough to fill Twickenham Stadium.

Players such as Newcastle Falcons’ Callum Chick started life on the pitches of the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup, with Land Rover ambassador Johnson praising the opportunities.

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He said: ‘We know about the health benefits but there are lots of life benefits of playing rugby too, it’s the entire thing, you get involved with something that’s bigger than the whole game.’

Land Rover has heritage in rugby at all levels; from grassroots to elite, sharing and understanding the values at the heart of the game. Follow @LandRoverRugby

Related topics:TwickenhamLand RoverHavantEngland