Fuzhou Rugby, Taipei Giants and Xiamen Typhoon exchange team jersey before the cross-Straits competition gets underway. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The third cross-Straits Youth Rugby Tournament hit the pitch at Haixia Olympic Sports Center in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province on Nov 25, with plenty of scrums and tackles taking place and tries being scored.

Altogether four teams from Fujian and Taiwan took part in the tournament with the Taipei Giants taking home the top trophy.

Founded in 1966, the Taipei Giants boast nearly 300 members and are considered one of Taiwan's first and most prestigious rugby teams

The other three teams included two from Fuzhou Rugby Club as well as Xiamen Typhoon. They competed across six fierce rounds of 20 minutes each, and were ranked according to the points they scored in total.

As a major cross-Straits exchange event, the tournament has become an essential bond between rugby enthusiasts.

It is the third consecutive year that Fuzhou Rugby Club has held the tournament. The city has been committed to promoting rugby for the past eight years.

"We hope to introduce to the public both fierce contact rugby and safer touch rugby by holding youth contact rugby games and kids touch rugby games," said Zhu Yuanlong, chairman of the club.

During the competition, Yinxi Elementary School rugby team from the city of Fuqing, the first elementary school rugby team in Fujian province, played a touch rugby exhibition game under the guidance of Fuzhou Rugby Club. The team won the championship in the U12 group at the 2017 "Youth Rugby Cup" National Touch Rugby Championship on Nov 5.

Chen Zhixing, vice chairman of Taipei Giants was impressed by the great progress made by Fujian and even the Chinese mainland in promoting rugby.

"We have participated in the tournament for three years. It really touches me to see Fuzhou Rugby Club promoting rugby in elementary schools," Chen said. "I hope to bring more Taiwan teams here in the future to help further enhance the cross-Straits folk sports exchanges."