More than 300 rugby novices from 13 primary schools lit up North Field at the National Sports Centre on Wednesday.

Children from across the island got the chance to spend a day learning drills and playing matches on the first day of the Rugby Schools Festival, with middle school and high school players waiting their chance to shine on subsequent days.

For many it was their first chance to play the sport and Josh Hardtman, physical education teacher at Purvis Primary, was delighted to hand his students the opportunity to discover the joys of rugby.

“We have ten boys and eight girls here and It’s been really fun and great to get people away from the typical sports that we’re used to, such as football, basketball and maybe cricket,” Hardtman said.

“It’s great that children are getting exposure to something they’re not typically used to and gives them a different sporting avenue to explore. I was surprised at just how many children want to play and it’s great to be involved.”

Gabriel Wilkinson, physical education teacher at Dalton E. Tucker Primary School, was another educator thrilled to bring some of his talented sportspeople to play.

“It’s great for us to be out on a big field, to feel the grass and use these facilities,” he said.

“I have nine kids here for a sport we don’t do as much in our school, but when the guys get in this environment with other schools it gives them some motivation to do things to their best.

“I brought some good athletes in different sports but it’s great that I could also bring others, as this really is a sport that everyone can play. It’s new to a lot of kids at this age so there are not too many at a high level and everyone can shine.”

Jessica Cassidy already runs a rugby club at Bermuda High School for Girls and plays for a team on island. She was pleased to see girls not normally at the forefront for sports keen to give this a try.

“This is special for me because I play rugby and really want to try to grow the sport,” she said.

“I have a group of 20 girls in my rugby club at school but when this was announced I had about 45 interested in coming and I could probably name a bunch of girls in this group of 16 who don’t even touch a football.

“It’s about introducing them to rugby and showing them that there are a lot of opportunities now in the game.”

Francis Patton Primary physical education teacher Stacia Ming felt it was an opportunity to bring some children out of their shell.

“A lot of them took a bit of convincing and were a little scared and shy at first,” Ming said.

“Through the pandemic and being home a lot their social skills were lacking a bit, so it’s really good to get them back out in this atmosphere and trying something new.

“It’s great when we get to do these all-day events as they get some drills in the morning, learn new skills and then try to put them in action in the friendly games in the afternoon.”

The strong turnout brought a smile to the face of Jason Hendrie, rugby operations director at the Bermuda Rugby Football Union.

Hendrie has spent the last few weeks going into schools on the island and helping teachers and students learn the fundamentals of the sport, with special emphasis on public schools.

“In terms of strategy a big focus for me is to get into public schools,” Hendrie said.

“There is a lot of talent in there and they welcome you with open arms to help run four or five weeks of rugby lessons and so far I think they’ve loved it.”

While some sports can be reserved for children with a certain body type and shape, Hendrie was keen to promote the inclusivity of rugby

“Rugby is for all shapes and sizes and there’s definitely a position for anyone on a rugby field,” he said.

“It takes tall people, fast people, big people and slow people to play this game and there is a place for everybody the rugby field, which is brilliant.

“This is a big week for all of us involved in rugby to showcase the sport to a new generation. We’ve got over 300 kids today, we’ll have 200 kids from middle school tomorrow and then high school on Friday, when the games will involve more contact and more competition.”

Hendrie has been on island for five months and is still excited by the chance to bring the sport he loves to a new audience.

“I’m honestly loving it and there’s not a quiet day, which is brilliant,” he said.

“It’s such a huge range going from primary schools all the way up to the performance of the men’s and women’s national teams. The enthusiasm for rugby on island is huge and that’s what I’m loving most about it.

“Hopefully we’re starting to create a pathway to build up some of the teams because obviously you need players coming through at all ages. We’re trying to give kids opportunities to play within teams and to play competitive games.

“It’s brilliant that we’re inspiring so many kids and I know that a lot of schools and a lot of teachers are interested and eager to keep this going.”