SUNDAY saw Ardrossan Accies RFC host a mini-rugby festival at the Memorial Field.

With Bishopton, Cumnock, Greenock, Irvine and Kilmarnock on board, there were more than 300 kids and coaches involved, with almost as many spectators on hand to enjoy the rugby.

There were competitions at multiple age levels: P3, P4, P5, P6 and P7, with Cumnock excelling across the board and taking the title for every group other than P5 which went to Bishopton.

Despite the dominance of Cumnock there were some epic battles along the way, with games hanging in the balance until the final whistle.

The Accies showed plenty of promise at the younger age groups and some more battle-hardened talent at the older end. With regular training and a packed fixture list for the 2018/19 season, the players will only grow in strength and confidence. The Accies results were:

P3 - 1 draw, 1 win and 3 losses. Stars of the day were Kara Preesapati, Lewis Anderson and Lucas Thomson with young Miller Mackay also impressing on his debut.

P4 - Took three defeats on their introduction to contact rugby. Stars of day were Manus Gallanach, Nathan Guffie and Connor O’Moore, with all three showing a willingness to challenge the defence.

P5 - Won 2 and lost 2, albeit with tight margins. The Accies players could easily have ended up tournament winners had the occasional lucky bounce gone their way. Rory Gallacher, Harrison Britten, Max Walton and Callan Tyler were the pick of the Accies players, combining solid tackling with nimble running all afternoon.

P6 - Won 1, drew 1 and lost 2 on the day, with their efforts making coaches and parents proud. The stars of the day were Josh Bleakley for his powerful running, Logan O’Moore for predatory tackling, the irrepressible Leo Gallanach and Neil Walker – a young player hitting a fine run of form so far this season.

P7 - Won 2, drew 1 and lost 1. The team started reasonably well, but dipped in form at the crucial point against Cumnock Red, missing their shot at the silverware. However, their final game against Cumnock yellow was a sight to behold, particularly with so many new players from the local football teams diving enthusiastically into rugby.

Stars of the day were Tom Monaghan, Leighton-James Hales, Devlin Frew and Bradley Jagger who drew glowing praise from several opposition coaches on only his second ever rugby match.

On Sunday, the Accies head to Cartha RFC’s 7-a-side tournament.