Telford Hornets will be staging the Wooden Spoon-sponsored International Tag Festival for people with learning difficulties at their Town Park ground on June 6.
The Festival will feature around 500 youngsters with learning difficulties aged between eight and 18 from across Britain in a round-robin event starting at 10am.
The Festival, which was most recently staged in Belfast, will strengthen Telford’s links with rugby for people with learning disabilities as the club is home to the Shropshire Rebels Tag team.
“Seeing the children at Shropshire Rebels enjoying the tag rugby so much and watching their confidence grow with each game, we are delighted to be helping to organise this increasingly popular event in Shropshire,” said Glyn Dobbs, chairman of Shropshire Wooden Spoon.
“Having seen the parents, carers and Rebels’ club leaders working together week in, week out, I know that the Festival is going to be one of the best.”
The Festival will be attended by Jonathan Dance, the RFU President, and Jason Leonard, a Rugby World Cup winner in 2003, who is Senior Vice President of the RFU.
Phil Vickery, another 2003 World Cup winner, will also be in attendance in his capacity as Wooden Spoon’s lead ambassador as will former England full-back Tim Stimpson who is Shropshire’s Wooden Spoon president.
Wooden Spoon is rugby’s charity for children with learning difficulties.