Whitehaven Sharks under-sevens hosted the season’s first festival at the Playground.

Ten teams from Whitehaven, Penrith, Keswick, Creighton, Egremont and Cockermouth opened the season with some fantastic rugby.

The weather was far from ideal, with a typical autumnal drizzle falling throughout, but the spirits and indeed the quality weren’t dampened.

More than 50 children enjoyed a number of matches which left the observing coaches and parents brimming with pride.

All of the players came together at the end of the festival for a group photo which was followed by hot dogs and juice as a welcome reward after a day of gruelling play.

The Whitehaven Sharks players showed a tremendous amount of teamwork, respect and fair play throughout and gave rugby debuts to a dozen new players.

The Sharks thanked all of their current sponsors for their support, which allowed then to introduce youngsters to the game of rugby in a bid to build their confidence, circle of friends and promote a healthy lifestyle.