From 8 to 11 June, Lviv is hosting the 5th national stage of rugby-5 “Plich-o-plich vseukrainski shkilni lihy” (Side by Side National School Leagues) among pupils in Years 5–7. The competition is taking place at the Yunist stadium.
Over four days, the strongest school teams from across Ukraine have gathered in Lviv to compete for the title of national rugby-5 champions at the final stage of the project.
320 schoolchildren from 23 regions of Ukraine are taking part in the tournament, having successfully passed the previous qualifying stages and earned the right to represent their regions at national level.
The competition is held among mixed teams comprising boys and girls in Years 5–7. This format promotes rugby-5 among schoolchildren and helps develop teamwork and equal opportunities for all participants.
The programme of the final stage includes group matches, play-off fixtures, a formal awards ceremony for the winners and medallists, as well as the contest for the Ukrainian Rugby Association Cup among teams that do not progress beyond the group stage.
The “Plich-o-plich vseukrainski shkilni lihy” (Side by Side National School Leagues) project is one of the largest sporting competitions for schoolchildren in Ukraine. In the 2025/2026 season, around 1,275 teams took part in rugby-5 tournaments, involving more than 14,000 players.
Last year, Lviv region was represented at the national rugby-5 stage in Kyiv by the team of the Prestizh Gymnasium. This year, the region at the 5th national stage is represented by the team of the Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko Chernivskyi General Secondary Education Institution I–III degrees of the Mostyska City Council.