Splash Waterworld
Swim, slide and splash to your heart's content inside Butlin's brilliant family pool complex.
200 Mini & Junior Rugby teams and 6000 people from all over the UK join us every year on tour at the Tigers Challenge at Butlin’s Minehead, Somerset, it really is the ultimate weekend of Rugby & Fun!
The Tigers Challenge combines a professionally organised rugby festival for U7 - U12 teams, with the superb touring facilities and accommodation at Butlin’s Minehead. Our spectacular celebrity presentation ceremonies then close the festival in style.
Read MoreAfter an exciting day of action at the pitches, the facilities at Butlin’s Minehead are perfect for an action-packed tour. There's a huge variety of sports and leisure facilities, fantastic evening entertainment, and great places to eat and drink.
The amazing Splash Waterworld is packed with flumes, rides and slides, and the traditional Funfair with free rides are always a firm favourite for the kids and adults alike. If you’re looking for extra thrills, you can pay a small extra charge for activities like the High Ropes with the ‘leap of faith’, Climbing Wall, Go Karts, Adventure Golf, Ten Pin Bowling and more. When the evening comes around, live shows, tribute acts and disco feature in Butlin's state of the art entertainment venues, at no extra cost!
Read MoreThere’s a range of accommodation options available to suit all budgets. If your club like a bit of luxury on tour, Butlin’s West Lakes Village will be a beautifully serene place to rest your head after a day of action at the Tigers Challenge. The apartments at Butlin’s are also ideal for families and groups, providing everyone with enough space to relax in comfort.
Read MoreWith dramatic sound and lighting effects, our spectacular presentation ceremonies are a tour highlight. Every team gets their moment of glory, when they are invited onto the main stage to meet our special guests.
Tigers legends Martin Johnson, Lewis Moody, Will Greenwood, Geordan Murphy, Matt Tair, Vicky Macqueen, Neil Back, Tom Croft, Louis Deacon, George Ford, Scott Hamilton, Jeremy Staunton, George Chuter, Craig Newby, Freddie Tuilagi, Dan Hipkiss and Harry Wells have all joined us in previous years.
All players receive a quality medal as a memento of the Tigers Challenge. In addition, there are superb team awards for the top placed teams in each age section.
There's a fantastic range of facilities at Butlin's Minehead, to keep everyone entertained while you're on tour!
Swim, slide and splash to your heart's content inside Butlin's brilliant family pool complex.
Go round, up, down, spin and whizz through the air in Butlin's fairgrounds - with loads of free rides!
When the Rugby stops the fun continues! There's a fantastic range of facilities on resort at Butlin's.
Live shows, tribute acts, discos and more will keep everyone entertained throughout the weekend.
There's a great range of places to eat & drink, with Half Board meal packages also available.
2 - 5 May 2025:£150pp - £225pp
Special guests have included Matt Tait, Tom Croft, Neil Back, George Ford, Harry Wells, George Chuter and Freddie Tuilagi and many more.
Every child receives a quality medal as a memento of Tigers Challenge at Butlin's Bognor Regis. In addition, there are superb individual and team awards presented in each age section.
There’s nothing better than being away on tour with your teammates. The memories made can last a lifetime and there really is no better way of building camaraderie and bonding within a club.
Your team will feel like they’re in the Gallagher Premiership with live fixture updates and tour info in the Tigers Challenge App.
Recommended Touring Squad Sizes
U7 Mixed = 6
U8 Mixed = 8
U9 Mixed = 10
U10 Mixed = 12
U11 Mixed = 15
U12 Boys = 20
DAY 1, FRIDAY – ARRIVAL DAY:
No rugby is played on the day of arrival. Accommodation units should be available from 4pm – Butlin’s will confirm your check in time prior to your break. Guests can arrive on resort from 1pm and use the facilities at Butlin’s. There will be a full evening entertainment programme on the Friday. Our welcome meeting for coaches will take place on Friday evening at around 8pm.
DAYS 2 & 3, SATURDAY & SUNDAY:
All teams will participate in festivals that take place on both the Saturday & Sunday. Each Age Grade will be organised in accordance with the RFU guidelines. The event format may vary depending on the number of teams registered in each Age Grade.
The celebrity presentation ceremony will take place on the Sunday evening. Teams are welcome to travel home on the Sunday evening after the presentation, or Monday morning.
DAY 4, MONDAY – DEPARTURE DAY:
Check out of accommodation is 10.00am but you do not have to leave the resort until Midday.
AGE QUALIFICATION DATES
Consideration will be given to official dispensation where held under RFU Regulation 15. However this is at the discretion of the Organisers and subject to specific Tigers Challenge Rules. Please contact ESF Events for further details if required.
We would advise International teams from Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland and other countries to read RFU Regulation 15 carefully, so that you are aware of the Age Grade regulations of the RFU. As the Tigers Challenge is an RFU approved festival, the festival is played in accordance with the RFU regulations and subject to Tigers Challenge Rules.
PLEASE NOTE: As per RFU guidelines, mixed teams of boys and girls are not permitted in the U12 age sections, so girls cannot compete in the U12 boys age sections at the 2025 Tigers Challenge in Minehead.
If you have any queries regarding the eligibility of players, please contact ESF Events via email at info@tigerschallenge.co.uk
Age Group | Born on or after | Born before |
---|---|---|
U12 Boys | 1 Sep ’12 | 1 Sep ’13 |
U11 Mixed | 1 Sep ’13 | 1 Sep ’14 |
U10 Mixed | 1 Sep ’14 | 1 Sep ’15 |
U9 Mixed | 1 Sep ’15 | 1 Sep ’16 |
U8 Mixed | 1 Sep ’16 | 1 Sep ’17 |
U7 Mixed | 1 Sep ’17 | 1 Sep ’18 |
TIGERS CHALLENGE WRISTBANDS
Each guest who has booked accommodation through ESF Events will receive a Tigers Challenge wristband when they check in at Butlin’s. The Tigers Challenge wristband is required to attend the playing venues as a player, club official or spectator, attend the presentation ceremony at Butlin’s, and enter evening entertainment venues at Butlin’s.
Tigers Challenge wristbands are not available to purchase separately. If you are not booked through ESF Events at Butlin’s, you are not part of the event and do not have permission to attend the playing venues as a player, official or spectator, or to attend the presentation ceremonies at Butlin’s.
IMPORTANT: Accommodation for your whole party, including players, families, managers and supporters, must be booked through ESF Events. If members of your party do not book accommodation through ESF Events, the team will not be permitted to participate in the Tigers Challenge. The only exception to this is ‘local’ teams who are invited to participate in the festival to ensure the best possible format in each age group.
TEAM ENTRY FEES
There are no Team Entry Fees to enter the Tigers Challenge. All costs involved with staging the festival are included in the accommodation charges. As such, it is a condition of entry to the festival that all members of your touring party (players, coaches, officials, family members etc.), book accommodation through ESF Events.
Please note: If you have any queries or any other information regarding any of the tournament information detailed above, please call 01664 566360 or click here to email ESF Events.
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