The Smallest Rugby Club World Cup

Sean Phelan says promoting grass roots rugby in a home World Cup year is ‘bigger than anything.’

Phelan is very much at the heart of one of the main grass roots events of the year; the Smallest Rugby Club World Cup which comes to England on September 19.

“There are 12 teams from various parts of the UK and Europe coming to Tolworth in Surrey for a one day XV a-side rugby tournament, said Phelan.

“It’s bigger than anything to showcase grass roots in a home world cup year. We have all seen that the participation in the sport is dropping and if England has a great world cup; then it’s just going to bring the kids through for the next generation.

“Grass roots rugby develops these young kids into Chris Robshaw’s and Sam Burgess’ so they can become the stars of the future so that’s huge.”

The tournament was the brainchild of Phelan’s father Mick, who is the chairman of local club Racal Decca in Surrey.

Phelan [Sean] is currently the club captain and says being such an integral part of this initiative is special.

He added: “The tournament was the idea of Racal Decca and the chairman, my father, Mick Phelan a couple of years ago.

“They thought ‘How do we celebrate the Rugby World Cup’ and we decided to do something that has never been done before - to have this one great day of rugby.

“For me it’s going to be a fantastic day. It the club I have grown up with. I grew up watching my father and all my heroes play here every Saturday and I was running around and annoying them!

“Now I am captain of this club in a World Cup year so it is special to be a part of this.”

The decision to have this competition the day after England’s World Cup opener against Fiji seems a sensible and calculated one by the Phelan family and Racal Decca as it really encapsulates the World Cup fever.

In addition to this, it gives the grass roots players even more of a sense that playing in this tournament is there time to shine.

“We have got clubs from all over who would’ve never of dreamed of playing in a Wold Cup event and they get their moment in the in spotlight.

“Grass roots rugby, in not just this tournament but in all the other events happening as part of the festival of rugby, are all having their moment in the sunshine alongside the big boys playing at Twickenham and beyond.”

With all the build up to the World Cup starting to slowly dominate the media; it is easy to forget that the new grass roots season will be just three weeks old when the first ball is hoisted into the air at Twickenham.

But, the Smallest Club Rugby World Cup has so far been promoted extremely well with TV giants BBC Sport and BT Sport doing their bit alongside other publications like Talking Rugby Union and Phelan is proud that this competition is receiving the coverage that it is.

“The media coverage is massive. BT Sport were very kind to us. They allowed us 30 seconds to plug our event on Rugby Tonight and we weren’t expecting that at all so that was special!  

“Lots of other publications are all getting behind it and it’s something we feel very proud about.”