More than 500 players to hit the pitch for annual junior rugby carnival in Albany this weekend

Fifty-four teams and more than 500 players are expected to hit the pitch on Saturday and Sunday for the sixth edition of the Albany Junior Rugby Club’s major event. Teams from across Perth will make the trip south and compete against sides from Bunbury, Busselton and Margaret River. Albany Storm will have teams competing in the under-9, under-12 and under-14 age groups while several other Albany players will join other teams. Albany Junior Rugby Club vice-president Paul Osborne said it promised to be a fantastic showcase of talent from around WA. “This is a season-ending tournament for the visiting teams and they love Albany,” Osborne said. “Some people come for the whole week down here and then play some rugby at the end. “It’s a huge attraction for the visiting teams coming to Albany. “Each team plays five full games and depending on where you finish is where you play off in the finals. “The top teams play for the cup, the middle-tier play for the plate and the bottom-tier play for the shield so everyone gets a chance to play at their relevant level. “We just hope the kids have fun and enjoy themselves.” Osborne said the local Albany Storm teams were shaping up to be very competitive against quality opposition. “I reckon the under-12s have a chance of going quite far,” he said. “They won the Bunbury tournament in July and beat Joondalup who are very good. “We also have a pretty talented group in the under-9s and they have potential.” Games will be played at the grounds near Campbell and North Road in the Centennial Park Sporting Precinct and begin at 10am on Saturday. The action starts again at 9am on Sunday and the finals will start at 1pm to decide the division winners.