Five years of the Royal & SunAlliance National Youth Rugby Festival have launched the careers of several youth internationals - as well as stimulating grass-roots interest by taking the game to new communities.

Scrum-half Danny Care lifted the first Constituent Body Festival title in 2002 with his West Yorkshire side and is now the England Under-20 captain and an England Sevens star.

"It was the first thing I'd done nationally and the next season went on to play for Yorkshire, the North and England at Under-16 level," said Care.

"The festival is such an important stepping stone for a young player and it gives you the chance to show people what you can do."

The 2006 CB Festival winners Hertfordshire were captained by Owen Farrell - son of rugby league legend Andy - who has since appeared for England's Under-16 side.

But equally important is the Development Festival nurtured by the Royal & SunAlliance SEE U @ RUGB programme that delivers coaching days and takes rugby into unfamiliar territory.

This year 10 Under-15 boys teams will fight it out to succeed 2006 champions Essex, who received the trophy from beaming Barking boy and England rugby legend Jason Leonard, who is the event's patron.

Last year the inaugural girls Under-14 regional competition was won by the South West North team and this year a girls Under-17 competition has been added to the programme.

Brendan McManus, managing director, Broker at R&SA, said: ""We are proud to sponsor the National Youth Rugby Festival to help showcase the best youth rugby has to offer.

"The festival is the perfect complement to the SEE U @ RUG B programme, which has already introduced lots of young people to the game who may not otherwise have had such an opportunity, and we are delighted to see that even more teams have entered the tournament this year."

In all 28 county teams take part in the CB Under-15 Festival on May 6 and 7 with the final on The Close at 1.30pm on Bank Holiday Monday.

Ten teams take part in the Development Festival on May 6 and 7 with the cup and plate winners decided on the Spring Hill pitches on Monday at 2pm.

There is also a girls festival for 12 regional teams with the Under-14s playing on May 6 (finals 3.45pm) and the Under-17s on May 7 (4.15pm).

Boys Under-15 CB Festival
Group 1: Berkshire, Middlesex, Somerset, Leicestershire.
Group 2: Yorkshire, Eastern Counties, Essex, Northumberland.
Group 3: Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Hampshire.
Group 4: Cumbria, Notts Lincs & Derbys, Devon, Surrey.
Group 5: Buckinghamshire, Lancashire, Staffordshire, Sussex.
Group 6: Oxfordshire, East Midlands, Cornwall, Durham.
Group 7: Kent, North Midlands, Kent, Hertfordshire.

Boys Under-15 Development Festival
Teams: Newcastle, Bristol, Essex, Liverpool, Teeside, Manchester, Lowestoft, Leeds/Bradford, Nottingham, Birmingham.

Girls Under-14 Festival teams
Group 1: East, West Midlands, South East.
Group 2: Yorkshire, South West North, WRW.
Group 3: South West South, East Midlands, North East.
Group 4: North West, ThamesValley, South.

Girls Under-17 Festival teams
Group 1: South West North, ThamesValley, East Midlands.
Group 2: West Midlands, South, North West.
Group 3: South East, Yorkshire, East.
Group 4: South West South, North East, WRW.

ends