The Lord Mayor of Oxford’s Festival of Rugby has raised £985 for local charities.
The two-day festival was hosted by Oxford Harlequins RFC at their Horspath Road pitches over the May Bank Holiday weekend (1/5 and 2/5).
Alongside raising money for Oxfordshire Mind, Ark-T, Wood Farm Youth Centre, Special Effect and BraveMind, the event also aimed to introduce people to rugby and encourage people to keep active.
Saturday (1/5) saw three competitive matches take place between teams from Oxford Harlequins RFC and Brookes University Rugby.
The final match saw Oxford Harlequins 1st XV take on Brookes University 1st XV. After a well-contested game, the Oxford Harlequins came out as victors.
The Lord Mayor of Oxford, Councillor Mark Lygo, presented the Lord Mayor of Oxford’s Festival of Rugby Cup to Allan Purchase, captain of Oxford Harlequins.
Sunday (2/5) saw an under 13 match between Oxford Harlequins and Oxford Rugby Club, followed by an under 18 match between Oxford Harlequins and a Lord Mayor select XV.
During the two-day event people were also able to participate in a non-contact rugby taster session, and a #MoveWithMayorMark fitness session with the Lord Mayor of Oxford and fitness coach Sy Wiggal.
It is hoped that the Lord Mayor of Oxford’s Festival of Rugby will become an annual event.
“The Lord Mayor of Oxford’s Festival of Rugby was a great success and enjoyed by all who attended.
“It is intended that this will be an annual event and that next year, and with Covid restrictions hopefully in the past it should be a much bigger event.”
Councillor Mark Lygo, the Lord Mayor of Oxford
“The Inaugural Lord Mayor of Oxford’s Festival of Rugby exceeded all our expectations. It felt like a celebration of life as much as one of rugby, as teams were finally able to compete safely after a long and difficult 14 months.
“We’re really pleased that we were able to raise funds for all the charities involved and would like to thank Oxford Brookes Sport, and most of all the Lord Mayor of Oxford, Councillor Mark Lygo, and his team for creating such a great event for the Oxford sporting calendar.”
Stuart Wells, Director of Rugby at Oxford Harlequins
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