The Korea Rugby Association announced on the 23rd that the '78th National Category Rugby Championships' opened from the 23rd to the 29th for seven days at the Jindo Jeondugu Stadium located in Jindo, Jeollanam-do.
This competition, hosted by the Korea Rugby Association and organized by the Jeollanam-do Rugby Association and the Jindo Rugby Association, will see about 600 players from 23 teams compete for the championship trophies in each institutional sector through a tournament format, featuring 9 teams in the under-15 category and 14 teams in the under-18 category.
In the under-15 category (12-player teams), 9 teams (including Kyungsan Middle School, Namseong Middle School, Baejae Middle School, Bucheon G Sports Club, Bupyeong Middle School, Iri North Middle School, Ilsan East Middle School, Cheonan Buseong Middle School, and Cheongju Nam Middle School) will participate. The under-15 category will officially kick off with a preliminary match between Ilsan East Middle School and Bucheon G Sports Club on the 24th, followed by the quarterfinals starting on the 26th.
In the under-18 category (15-player teams), 14 teams (including Kyungsan High School, Daegu Sangwon High School, Myeongseok High School, Baejae High School, Baeksin High School, Busan Physical Education High School, Seoul National University High School, Iri Technical High School, Incheon Technical High School, Yangjeong High School, Jeonnam High School, Jindo High School, Changwon Technical High School, and Chungbuk High School) have made their declarations. Among these, Chungbuk High School and Daegu Sangwon High School advance directly to the quarterfinals due to byes, while the remaining 12 teams will compete fiercely starting from the 23rd for the quarterfinal spots.
Shim Yeong-bok, president of the Korea Rugby Association, said, 'This national category championship is a significant stage for youth players who will take responsibility for the future of rugby in Korea to showcase their skills.' He added, 'I hope it will be a valuable time for each player's growth and a chance to learn teamwork and sportsmanship.'
He continued, 'This tournament held in Jindo, Jeollanam-do, will be a venue for not only revitalizing local sports but also promoting communication and exchange among rugby players nationwide.' He expressed deep gratitude to all the stakeholders, including the Jeollanam-do Rugby Association and Jindo Rugby Association, who worked hard to prepare for the tournament.
Meanwhile, all matches of this tournament will be broadcast live through the official channel of the Korea Rugby Association SOOP (Forest).
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