Marbella will host the 'Melé Tournament', which will gather half a thousand rugby players aged between 5 and 10 years old.

Marbella will be one of the five Spanish cities hosting the 'Melé Tournament' simultaneously on December 6 and 7, specifically at the Marbella Rugby Club facilities. The event will gather around 500 players from the M6, M8, and M10 categories, aged between 5 and 10, along with their families, "which will bring approximately 2,500 people to the town during the holiday weekend," noted council member Lisandro Vieytes, who emphasized that "this is a benchmark competition in the youth sector, where the best schools in the country will meet in Madrid (M18), Valladolid (M16), Barcelona (M14), and Valencia (M12), along with Marbella, hosting the youngest categories for the second consecutive year."

The councilor highlighted that the event "strengthens the town's position as a city of sports and consolidates its role as a venue for major rugby events." Moreover, he stated that such events "have a significant economic and tourist impact, coinciding with a key time of the year for off-season promotion." In this regard, he invited the public "to come to the facilities and enjoy a weekend full of sports and community spirit, with free admission."

Continuing to Promote Rugby

For his part, the president of the local club, Pepe Arjona, thanked the City Council for its support and stated that "for us, it is a pleasure and a great opportunity to continue promoting our sport and our city on a national level." He recalled that the 'Melé Tournament' has a 27-year history and noted that "in its last two editions, it has successfully been held in Marbella, which demonstrates the growth and consolidation of our club."

Arjona announced that this year's edition will feature teams from Barcelona, Madrid, Valladolid, Valencia, and Sevilla, in addition to the local Marbella teams. He also thanked the Andalusian Rugby Federation, which "will facilitate the refereeing." "The competition is crucial for the sports development of our players, as in less mainstream sports like ours, having access to effective playing time and high-level tests is essential," he concluded.