Wellington Festival: The best young talent in English rugby

Updated 1406 GMT (2206 HKT) May 11, 2018

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The Wellington Festival sees the best 15 and 16-year-old rugby players in England congregate for a week of training, match play, and off-field development. Capture the Event

The 14 regional academies faced each other in shortened games with adapted rules to optimize player development. Capture the Event

At an elite level, the teams represented at Wellington are the best English club rugby has to offer. Exeter Chiefs are the reigning English champions. The players here could have the opportunity to gain professional contracts when they leave school at 18. Capture the Event

All 12 teams in the Aviva Premiership had youth players at Wellington, who had been regionally selected across England. The senior sides of Yorkshire Carnegie and Bristol played in the second-tier of English rugby this season, with Bristol earning promotion. Capture the Event

Away from the rugby pitch, players were educated on topics such as social media, nutrition and anti-doping and had a presentation from England Sevens coach Simon Amor. Capture the Event

The aim is to give the teens a valuable experience beyond just the rugby field, as well as preparing them for some of the demands of professional rugby. Capture the Event

Of the 420 players at Wellington, roughly 65 will go on to receive professional contracts with senior sides. Capture the Event

The week, however, could be the "biggest thing some of these players do in their rugby careers," according to Anthony Allen, a former player and now coach with Leicester Tigers. Capture the Event

At the Tigers academy, Allen says the intention is to "produce good players" but also to "educate them to be better people at the end if it." Capture the Event

Finding the time to train over the course of the year can be a challenge for the regional academy coaches given players' commitments with school or club rugby. Capture the Event

There's also the matter of school work. The Wellington Festival takes place a few weeks before the players will sit their GCSE exams, and as a result many will spend much of the week revising. Capture the Event

Each team took a squad of 30 players to Wellington -- an increase on previous years where four English regions were represented by about 100 players. Capture the Event

With players staying on-site at the boarding school, they get to spend more time with their academy coaches. Capture the Event

On the two game days, Northampton enjoyed success winning all four of their fixtures. Capture the Event