On the girls’ side, three teams from Caledonia, West, and East took to the field in a series of competitive and well-contested matches. Across the boys’ programme, eight teams took part in a packed schedule of fixtures. The festival served as a key step in the Scottish Rugby Player Pathway, providing a valuable experience of representative rugby under national blueprint principles.

A special thanks goes to the 15 match officials who ensured the smooth running of the day and helped create a positive, development-focused environment for all involved.

Stirling County RFC were superb hosts, with their facilities and volunteers contributing to a memorable day of rugby.

Reflecting on the festival, Neil Graham, Scottish Rugby’s Head of Regional Pathways and Game Development, said: “It was great to see the players perform and continue to develop, putting all their hard work at training into practice. Today was the first opportunity the players have had to represent their region, having been selected from the U15 Player Development Hub programme in the Spring.

“It was another great opportunity for us to see the blueprint curriculum in action, and for our young players to test themselves against the best players in Scotland.”

The second, and last, U16 festival of the summer takes place at Stirling County RFC’s Bridgehaugh tomorrow.