Sunday marked a very special moment for the Spartans U9s as they welcomed Walsall Rugby Club for the opening fixture of the new season — and, more importantly, the team's first competitive taste of contact rugby.

After two years developing their skills through tag rugby, this was the moment our young Spartans had been preparing for. Tackling, carrying into contact and safely bringing opponents to ground were now part of the game, but what was perhaps most pleasing was how much of the rugby developed during their tag years remained on show.

The passing and offloading across both teams was fantastic. Rather than simply looking to run into defenders, the Spartans repeatedly looked for teammates in space, moved the ball through hands and produced some wonderful offloads to keep attacks alive. It was a hugely encouraging sign that the introduction of contact hasn't replaced the rugby we've been trying to teach — it's simply added another dimension to it.

Swords

Edward S (C), Millie, Erin, Theo, Eddie T, Dylan, George

The Swords embraced the challenge of contact rugby superbly. There was bravery when tackles needed to be made, determination when carrying the ball and, increasingly as the games progressed, a real understanding that moving the ball into space could be every bit as effective as trying to power through the opposition.

Edward S (C) took on the responsibility of captain and produced a performance to match. Strong defensively and composed with the ball, Edward set an excellent example for his teammates as they navigated their first competitive contact fixture.

Millie carried her excellent support instincts from tag rugby straight into the contact game. She continually looked for opportunities to get onto a teammate's shoulder and provided an option for the pass or offload when it was needed.

Erin attacked the Walsall defence with her customary determination, running straight and committing defenders before looking to keep the ball moving. She also showed real courage when it was her turn to get involved defensively.

Theo looked like a player who had been waiting for contact rugby to arrive! His powerful running and enthusiasm for the physical side of the game gave the Swords real momentum, while he continued to look for space rather than simply seeking contact.

Eddie T produced a hugely committed display, throwing himself into the defensive work and showing great determination with ball in hand. His willingness to keep working from one phase to the next was particularly impressive.

George brought his trademark attacking instinct into the new format, looking for gaps and opportunities whenever he received the ball. He combined that with a determined defensive performance and showed plenty of courage when the tackles started flying.

Shields

Ben P, Prim, Jones, Jacob (C), Ethan, Zachary, Finlay

The Shields produced some wonderfully entertaining rugby, combining determined defence with some excellent handling. There were moments when the ball moved through several pairs of hands, with players looking for the offload and immediately getting back into position to support the next carrier — exactly the kind of rugby we want to see this group developing.

Jacob (C) led the Shields with confidence and produced an excellent all-round display. His ability to commit defenders and create space for those around him remained a real feature of his game, and he adapted that attacking instinct extremely well to the demands of contact rugby.

Ben P gave the Shields a reliable source of forward momentum, carrying strongly and positively whenever the opportunity presented itself. Just as importantly, he kept working after releasing the ball to get himself back into the game and support the next phase. One tackle put in by Ben had all on the sidelines marvelling at it's precision and explosiveness.

Ethan showed real composure throughout the morning. He made intelligent decisions with the ball, contributed strongly without it and looked increasingly comfortable with the different challenges that U9 rugby presents.

Finlay produced a wholehearted performance full of energy. He competed hard defensively, was eager to get his hands on the ball and showed great determination to stay involved throughout the games.

And then we come to our three newest Spartans.

Prim, Jones and Zachary were playing their first ever games of rugby, and you would never have known it. All three played fearlessly, embracing tackles, carrying the ball and getting involved without hesitation. To make your rugby debut on the same morning that your teammates are making the step into contact rugby takes some courage, and all three should be enormously proud of themselves. Welcome to the Spartans — what a way to start!

Rupert's strength and determination were simply magnificent. Time and again he drove the ball relentlessly forward, refusing to be stopped easily and fighting for every metre available to him. It was exactly the sort of committed, positive ball carrying that can give a team confidence in contact rugby, and his determination was fantastic to watch.

The Next Chapter Begins

For the coaches, perhaps the most satisfying part of the morning wasn't an individual tackle, carry or try. It was seeing that the rugby these players learned during their U7 and U8 years hasn't disappeared simply because tackling has arrived.

There were passes before contact, offloads after defenders had been committed, players working hard to support the ball carrier and teammates beginning to understand where the space was going to appear. Add to that the courage shown in defence and there was an enormous amount to be excited about.

This was only game one of their U9 journey. There will be plenty to learn and plenty to work on, but the bravery, enthusiasm and quality of rugby shown against Walsall gave the coaching team plenty of reasons to be proud.

Finally, a huge thank you to Walsall Rugby Club and their players and coaches for contributing to such an enjoyable first fixture of the season. The game was played in the right spirit and provided exactly the kind of positive introduction to competitive contact rugby that these young players needed.

Two years of tag rugby helped build the foundations.

Now the next chapter of their Spartans journey has begun.