EXCITEMENT is building ahead of this year’s highly anticipated Cooper Cup rugby clash between Colwyn Bay and Rydal Penrhos School.

The U8, U9, U10 and U11 sides from both establishments will all be competing over two legs, and the idea of the annual event first originated some years ago from members of the Junior Section who had connections to both the club and the school.

It has proved to be a hotly contested affair over the years, with Rydal Penrhos coming out on top during the last four renewals of the competition.

After the first leg of the 2018 showcase fell victim to the weather, the event was decided over four games and saw the Prep School emerge victorious by a 3-1 aggregate score.

The cup is contested annually with both home and away fixtures during the Easter term for U8s, U9s, U10s and U11s.

The combined age group results over the two rounds lead to the trophy being awarded to either the Club or School and, should there be a tie, this is decided on overall try count. We have had some very close results over the years.

Members of the Junior Section who had both Rydal Penrhos and club connections conceived the idea of the Cup.

There is a long history of collaboration between club and school and it felt fitting that the trophy be named after Ken Cooper, who was a master at the Senior School for many years but also played for and was President of Colwyn Bay Rugby Club.

Ken Cooper’s daughter Kelly Elson, a former pupil of the School, keen rugby supporter and at the time of the development of the Cooper Cup, Head of the Pre-Prep department embraced the idea and presented the cup enthusiastically each season.

The first leg will take place at Colwyn Bay Rugby Club on Sunday, February 10, with the return leg at Rydal Penrhos scheduled for Saturday, March 23.