Sixteen teams participated in the first rugby championship for primary and middle school students in Fuzhou, Fujian province, on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

During this year's Tokyo Olympics, China's women's rugby sevens made it to the top eight, a historic breakthrough that greatly promoted the awareness of the sports in the country.

Fujian is a major area for the sport's development. The association, which was organized in 2018, has developed more than 10 teams in the cities of Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Xiamen.

"The entry barrier is low and the basic rules are easy to understand, which enables small children to take a part in training and competition," said Zhang Ning, a coach.

Fuzhou No 10 High School, where the contest was held, established the city's first high school students' rugby team in December last year. The school offered rugby classes in September, and students showed great interest, according to the principal, Chen Lifen.