Penryn's Under-11s had the day of their young lives at Twickenham last weekend, prior to the Aviva Premiership Final, writes Rob O'Kane.

Following a season of waterlogged pitches and cancelled games, the Under-11 victory in the sunshine at the Land Rover Cup last September seemed a lifetime ago.

Victory that day secured the youngsters of the Penryn Under-11 team the chance to fulfil their dreams and walk on to the hallowed turf of Twickenham.

Fundraising hard, the team have bag-packed at supermarkets and sold raffle tickets to family and friends; the people of Penryn and the surrounding area have supported their efforts and the end result was that 21 players were able to fulfil that dream.

Departing early last Friday morning, the players were all issued their tour shirt and toy soldier; a tour requirement being that every player must adopt the position of their toy soldier when Sergeant Steve called them to “Attention”.

Being a Bank Holiday Weekend, the coach journey (with driver Tony at the helm) was long and hot. But it was worth the slog as, on arrival at the luxury accommodation, the team were treated to a delicious meal before getting a good night’s sleep in preparation for the early morning that was to follow.

Looking resplendent in their new playing kit, the team arrived at Twickenham following a hearty breakfast. Following a quick visit to the England RFU Shop, the team moved into the Rose Room to await the arrival of the England Legend players and the start of the special day.

It was a brilliant coincidence that the Legends, Jason Robinson and Lewis Moody, were two of the players that the team had watched whilst on the long journey up from Cornwall.

Both Jason and Lewis had aged somewhat since the World Cup final of 2003 and the Penryn Under 11 players were not even close to being born. But the impact that these ‘heroes’ of rugby had on the young players of Penryn should not be underestimated.

Hanging on their every word, the pair talked of what inspired them as youngsters and gave advice on how best to develop as a rugby player. The Penryn Under 11 ‘Most Valued Player’, Felix Liverod-Griffin, was then presented with a signed Exeter Chiefs shirt and commemorative medal before the whole team moved on to the Twickenham pitch for the obligatory photographs.

Falmouth Packet:

Penryn under-11s on the Twickenham pitch ahead of the Aviva Premiership final

The first view of this colossal stadium silenced the players for perhaps the only time over the weekend; the coaches enjoyed the moment of peace whilst thinking of what could have been in their rugby careers.

The team then moved around to the West Car Park and the famous gates to await the arrival of the Exeter Chiefs team. The ‘Tribe’ welcomed the team with a roar and the players all joined in to add their voice. Following the Chiefs into the stadium were the Penryn team who found their seats and started to soak up the atmosphere. The stadium slowly filled with a near capacity crowd, the noise levels increased and the temperature rose. The teams entered the stadium to an almighty roar and the match kicked off.

Part two of the adventure was then the half-time lap of honour around the pitch. Proudly carrying the flag of St Piran, the Penryn Under 11 team represented the county superbly well and were a credit to the Club and community that have supported them over the season.

The end result of the match was not the one that the Penryn team wanted but it did not deter them from getting the most from the final night away.

After another delicious meal, the team held a ‘court’ with Judge T viciously punishing all misdemeanours from the tour. What goes on tour, stays on tour but sardines have never tasted so bad.

The journey home was broken up by a trip to Go Ape which allowed the cheeky monkey’s in the team to show off their climbing skills. Much fun was had and the team bonded.

It has been fantastic to see the friendships between the players develop and it was therefore with a little sadness that the team bid farewell to the four girls, Elia, Beany, Gracie and Ellie, and Thom, who is moving with his family to South Africa. The team and coaches wish all of them the very best of luck with their future rugby careers.

As for those players that are left, the future looks bright. The backbone of the team has been together since the Under 7’s and those new joiners since have added much.

New players are always welcome for what promises to be another bright season, subject to the rain of course! Up the Borough!