BEACH rugby returns to Weymouth sands tomorrow (11am) with England's first contact five-a-side festival to be played under the same standards as elsewhere in Europe.

London New Zealand and the Isle of Scilly are two of the teams making up the cosmopolitan entry list.

The festival is part of the Rugby Football Union's enlarged programme of beach rugby for 2007 at many venues throughout the country.

Weymouth Beach is also the location for a three-day festival from Friday, August 10 until Sunday, August 13. This will include a tag rugby tournament and turn up and try' day.

The RFU will have their fun inflatables on the beach and children and adults will be able to use them free of charge.

There will also be tag rugby pitches set up where families can join in games that will be organised by community rugby coaches.

Bournemouth beach will see the launch of the first ever colleges beach competition where colleges from all over Dorset and Hampshire will compete for the title of College Beach Rugby Champions from Friday, July 11 to Sunday, July 13.

This is a joint venture with AFC Bournemouth Football club, which will give students the opportunity to try both football and rugby in a fun, relaxed environment.

On the Saturday, the Cherries will run a Beach Football Festival and on the Sunday, the RFU will run a Beach Rugby Festival.

"Sand, sea and sun all make a great combination and what better on a summer's day than to play rugby on one of nature's softest surfaces," said an RFU spokesman.

"Beach rugby can be tag or contact rugby and is for all ages, shapes and sizes so why not get a group of friends together and enter a team."

For full details of all the events taking place on the beach this summer, visit www.rfu.com/leisurerugby