LANCASHIRE Youth Games -- Tag Rugby Finals.

LOCAL rugby league teams showed the true essence of the Lancashire Youth Games after picking up all three fair play awards. Pendle, Ribble Valley Seconds and Hyndburn won the awards for their good sporting behaviour on the pitch -- but they all showed they could perform to the highest standard as well.

Pendle were represented by the Sacred Heart Primary School who won the borough's tag rugby competition last month.

And they did very well to finish in third place in the Under 12s event -- but it could have been so much higher.

For the youngsters pushed eventual winners Blackpool all the way and only lost on the amount of Tags caught after the match finished level.

Pendle also gave runners-up Preston and run for their money before suffering another narrow defeat.

But they were rewarded for some excellent but fair rugby when they picked up the Fair Play Award.

Hyndburn proved to be the best of the local sides and featured among the medals in two of the events.

The borough team, who had been struggling for players in the run up to the event, finished third in Primary Tag competition and second in the Girls event -- picking up the fair play award into the process.

Ribble Valley Seconds finish joint third with Hyndburn in the Primary Tag event and picked up the fair play award.

But it was the Coastal Lancashire sides who again dominated the event with Blackpool winning both the Primary and boys under 12s competitions with Lancaster in second place in the youngest event.

Preston also had a good tournament when they won the Girls competition after coming second in the Boys under 12s.