The day-long event will pit players from the five Welsh regions and the Welsh Exiles against each other in a series of short-form games with a range of adapted rules designed to hone certain technical and tactical skills identified as key in the professional game.
The matches start at 10.30 on Sunday with the final match to decide the top placed team kicking off at 16.10.
Former Wales prop Horsman, who heads up the Wales U18 – and revived Wales U19 coaching team alongside Geraint Lewis – said, “The challenge to us as performance staff and coaches is to develop players who have the abilities, tactical awareness and personal skills to step up to the next levels of Welsh rugby. This is the third year of this event and comes on the back of an intense week of training and development for all the squads – and coaches.
“The rules of the shortened games are geared towards the development of certain characteristics and this year we have highlighted the need to develop players who think on their feet and improve their decision-making. For example, the coaches won’t offer half-time advice, the players have been asked to look for their own solutions during the games.”
Horsman says the net has been thrown far and wide in order to give every potential Wales U18 player a chance to stake a claim to be in the national programme.
“We have worked closely with schools, colleges, clubs and the regional age grade set-ups to put forward players for potential inclusion in the process. Following Sunday’s matches, there will be East and West camps in December where we will identify players for this season’s Wales U18 squad.”
