HE MAY have missed out on the chance of walking out at Twickenham, but Supermarine Rugby Club under-11 starlet Owen Rees insisted he still loved every minute of his Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup experience.

On Sunday London Welsh hosted their annual event, as a number of under-11s and under-12s mini rugby teams from across the country met at a sun-bathed Witney RFC in Oxfordshire.

In total, more than 7,000 children will have participated over the course of the campaign as they aim to secure a coveted spot in the ‘Parade of Champions’ at half-time of the Aviva Premiership final in May.

And while Rees was not able to help his side lift the Under-11 Cup for a spot at Rugby HQ, the 11-year-old remained enthusiastic about the memorable event.

“It is such a good event to be a part of, it’s really great,” he said. “We went to another festival last weekend but it wasn’t on the same scale as this – it is fantastic to be able to watch so many games of rugby going on around you.

“We’ve had a good season overall so it is nice to be able to come to events like this towards the end of the season and play lots of different teams.

“There really is so much going on during the day as well as the games themselves.”

Casting an eye over proceedings were London Welsh trio Seb Jewell, Will Robinson and Josh McNally, who handed out medals on the day while also looking out for the potential Premiership stars of tomorrow.

And utility back Jewell, a self-confessed veteran of junior rugby competitions, insists events like the one at Witney on Sunday play a key role in the development of English rugby.

“I started playing rugby when I was at under-8s, and minis tournaments used to be the most exciting time of the year for me,” the Exiles star said.