Schools in York are launching a ten-a-side rugby league tournament to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee - as a curtain raiser to the official York Golden Jubilee Rugby League Festival on Monday, June 3.

Already five City of York Council schools are definitely signed up to the primary school tournament which will take place on Saturday, May 25 - just over a week before the official international event for adult teams at Heworth Rugby League Club.

The schools competition semi-finals and finals will take place during the nine-a-side event on bank holiday Monday and they will even be competing for a special cup.

The full-contact schools tournament will be for 8-12 York-based primary schools including Ralph Butterfield, Yearsley Grove, Bishopthorpe, Dunnington and St Aelred's.

The tournament will be staged at New Earswick Sports and Social Club on May 25 with two groups of teams competing on a round-robin basis. The two teams from each group will progress to semi-finals and final on June 3 which are likely to be played before the final stages of the international competition.

Rugby League giants Bradford Bulls and Leeds Rhinos are already backing the schools tournament with players promised for pre-competition coaching sessions.

Russell Walton, chairman of the junior section at New Earswick All Blacks rugby league club and schools tournament organiser, said, "Junior rugby league is booming in York and but this is a great opportunity to raise the profile of junior rugby league throughout York by bringing schools' Rugby League to a wider audience and thus enthusing other juniors and their parents to take part by making contact with local clubs.

"Doing this in conjunction with such a major international event is the perfect opportunity to showcase the junior game.

"I'm hoping that more schools will get involved - there is so much for their pupils to get out of the tournament and coaching is available free of charge. All of the children I have spoken to are extremely excited about the tournament and the involvement of Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls has upped the tempo another notch."

The main, nine-a-side, festival, backed by the Rugby Football League and City of York Council, features 16 teams from Ireland, the UK and France as well as a York select squad called the Ironsides in honour of the city's history in support of Oliver Cromwell's Roundhead forces during the English Civil War.

The event has an English Civil War theme and 15 teams will join the specially-selected York Ironsides team to play for the Fairfax Cup. The trophy is named after the roundhead commander Lord Fairfax who petitioned King Charles I at Heworth 360 years ago.

In keeping with the Civil War theme the teams competing in the schools competition will be bidding to win the Marston Moor Cup.

Councillor Alan Jones, City of York Council's executive member for leisure and heritage, said, "I am delighted that young people are getting involved in supporting the prestigious Golden Jubilee rugby league event. I am sure that the schools event will equal the nine-a-side tournament in terms of passion, enthusiasm and commitment."

Plans for the nine-a-side event on bank holiday Monday, June 3, are well in hand both in York and within the individual clubs attending the tournament.

The competition has secured widespread backing in rugby league circles and is even expected to boost tourism in the city.

Tournament organiser and former London Broncos supremo Lionel Hurst today welcomed the schools tournament. He said, "This is truly the kind of spin-off event we hoped the Jubilee nine-a-side tournament would encourage.

"I think its absolutely wonderful that we are getting two rugby festivals in York almost within the same week. There is clearly a great deal of enthusiasm at grass roots level - in the schools and local clubs for this sport and I'm delighted to back this schools event."

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Notes for Editors: The full list of 16 teams is: York Ironsides, Belfast, Cardiff Demons, Cork Bulls, Dublin Blues, Edinburgh Eagles, Glasgow Bulls, Les Hussards de Paris, FC Lezignan, City of London KooGas, North Wales Coasters, Royal Air Force, Army, Navy, South Asia Bulls and Teesside Steelers.