A junior rugby tournament in Hoylake which regularly attracts over 1000 attendees from across the region has been cancelled due to bad weather.
The 29th annual Mini 7s tournament was due to tale place at Hoylake RFC on Sunday May 1 with 700 young players due to take part.
A spokeswoman for the event said it had been a difficult decision to cancel the event.
She added: “We have been hammered by the weather this week and with the weather that has been forecast for Sunday we have had to make a very tough decision.
“We have looked at every possibility and although it has been tough, it is ultimately the right decision. The kids safety and welfare is paramount.
“We have been watching the weather reports closely and instead of getting better, it just seems to get worse.
“We cannot express how gutted we are about this given the work, organisation and time that has been put in, we have programmes, fixtures, trophies and food all here an waiting, and more importantly we were really looking forward to seeing old friends and finally putting faces to email chats.
“Please express our sincere apologies to your clubs and most importantly your children and parents, this has been a very difficult decision.”
The Mini 7s Tournament is an annual completion held by Hoylake RFC minis and juniors section. Age ranges from under 7s to under 12s teams with each age group playing for a cup.