Central Drive was a throng of activity last Sunday as Walney Central ARLFC hosted the latest minis festival for rugby league clubs in the area.

All eight of our amateur clubs were represented in the festival for budding young rugby stars aged six to eight, as they continued to learn the key skills of the sport, while having a great time into the bargain.

There were tournaments for three different age groups, while it was a return to familiar territory for the Hindpool Tigers under-7 and under-8 teams who had recently taken part in the Rhinos Challenge in Skegness.

While the rugby on display was competitive, of primary concern for Askam under-7s coach Lee Cumberbatch was that the youngsters under his care were enjoying themselves.

He said: "They love them. It's just nice to get the kids out and playing and get them enjoying the game and learning the game.

"Rugby league is a big sport in the area and it's about keeping enough kids coming through so the senior sides can keep developing teams.

"We still carry on training during the school holidays and you can see how much they enjoy it and for as long as they have smiles on their faces they'll carry on."

There was a real display of teamwork during the morning, as Barrow Island kindly allowed Walney Central youngsters to play alongside them, as the host club were struggling for numbers on the day.

Barrow Island under-6s coach Mark Bradley said: "They were short today and they asked if we could take them and it's just great for them to play.

"It's one of them where it shows a great community spirit and we all get involved to help each other - it's not like the football side of it, which is a lot different to the rugby around here.

"These kids train, but as long as they're having fun - and they're only six years old - and they're developing, that's what it's about."