The London Beach Rugby Tournament

Last year saw the first of an exciting, new, annual event – the London Beach Rugby Tournament. It kicks off again this Friday in Canary Wharf, and plans to be even bigger and better than before!

The original tournament was hosted in Covent Garden, and pitched 5-a-side teams against each other in quick-fire, 14 minute matches, following the Touch Rugby rules. This year, the temporary beach has been constructed in Wood Wharf, with an inflatable boundary positioned around the 25m x 15m pitch. It’s free to watch, with donations are gratefully received for the event’s official sponsor; Help for Heroes. There will also be all manner of bars, food stands and street vendors on offer, in addition to a Jolly Hog Roast, so whether you’re a rugby fan or not, the atmosphere promises to be electric, with something on offer for everyone.

Friday will be dedicated to corporate teams, made up of the Finance, Property, Insurance, Surveying and Law firms from London (so if you’ve always wanted to see a lawyer taken out...), whereas Saturday will include clubs and universities, as well as several sides that have travelled overseas especially for the event.

On each day, 32 teams will start out, with the top teams from each of the four groups going through to the next round, and so on and so forth, until it whittles down to a tournament champion. And new to this year, running alongside the main event on Saturday, will be an Indoor Netball contest – the fastest and most furious form of the game played today.

So if you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend, with a summer party atmosphere, and a good charitable cause behind it, pop on down to Canary Wharf. For more information, check out the official website, or follow them on twitter @ldnbeachrugby. And as always, if you went to last year’s event, or plan to go this year, let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.

Image Credits - London Beach Rugby