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U16`s Treble winners.
David Aldridge18 Apr 2023 - 13:44
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Sunday 16th April 2023
U16`s Kent Champions (again)
3 weeks to the day of being awarded the Kent league and Kent cup title, the U16`s took 2 x teams over to Beckenham to defend their 2022 Kent 7`s title.
Sevens is a game slightly lost on me! Quite why anyone would want to play rugby on a full-size pitch whilst missing 8 teammates, is beyond my understanding, but luckily for the U16s we have a number of coaches who see beyond pain and exhaustion, and actually quite like it, even luckier is that we had nearly 30 boys make themselves available for selection for this tournament , including the majority of boys that won the Kent title last year. So, after selecting the 24 boys for the 2 x teams of 12, it was with nervous anticipation that we made our way to Beckenham.
It’s not unfair to say that the 2 teams selected were very different in their structure, with one being made up of what I would call traditional seven players (fashion conscious, coiffured hair, manicured nails, perma-tanned, and never far from a mirror) and the other team made up of mainly forwards !
Both teams were drawn in very difficult leagues, with Sidcup 1 (fashionable, coiffured etc, etc) drawn against Sevenoaks, Canterbury 1 and Gravesend, and Sidcup 2 drawn with Beccehamians, Blackheath and Medway .
Sidcup 2 kicked off proceedings against Beccehamians and despite a very spirited start which belied our forwards-based style, soon found themselves on the end of a 6 try to 3 try loss and down to a squad of 11, after we lost a player (who himself was a late addition following a last minute withdrawal for sickness), with an injured ankle. Further losses against Blackheath by 2 tries, and Medway by 4 (losing 2 more players in the process) put 9 man Sidcup 2 into the bowl Quarter final against Maidstone, who had finished 3rd in their group. With numbers low and with key positions missing, it really was time to step up, and did they ever! We had hookers at 1st receiver, 2nd rowers playing on the wing, 9`s in the centre, back rowers propping, and forwards drop kicking. I couldn’t tell you the final score, but we won by at least 3 tries and more importantly got a bit of self-belief back and dare I say it, almost seem to enjoy it. Our semi-final was against Aylesford Bulls and whereas we still had 9 players, 3 were now carrying little injuries which restricted game time, so all thoughts of structure were lost, as we had to almost constantly rotate players to keep 7 players on the pitch. Cutting to the chase we lost by 2 points 33-31, with a converted try in the last play of the match sealing our fate, but it was a fantastic effort by all players. The day ended on a high with supporters applauding both sides as they left the pitch after an extremely entertaining game of sevens. Being practical, I felt that if we had gone onto the final, it would have been a game to far, as we were in the main held together by determination and elastic bandage at this stage.
Sidcup 1 Kicked of their campaign against Sevenoaks in what was an extremely tight game with the final score 7-5 in Sevenoaks` favour. Unfortunately at this point pool games began to clash, so details of the other Sidcup 1 pool games are sketchy, but suffice to say we beat Gravesend in a feisty encounter (which saw 2 x players sinbinned for handbags) and then Canterbury 1 , who had earlier beaten Sevenoaks, meaning that we finished the group in first place with Old Alleynians waiting in the Cup quarter final.
This was a decent, close game, but we ran out winners by a couple of tries in the end, taking us to Blackheath in the semi-final. With Sidcup 2 having played and only narrowly losing to Blackheath, we had some knowledge of their danger players, although as a few of the Sidcup boys had played and trained with some of the Blackheath boys on the Saracens pathway, there were no real surprises, and after a close first half, we ran out winners by 2 tries.
Unlike Sidcup 2, Sidcup 1 had managed in the main to stay injury free, although one of the backs had chipped a nail and our number 10`s hair had been ruffled slightly, but both had declared themselves fit to play in the final against Medway, (another team from Sidcup 2`s league). By this stage in the tournament all the Sidcup 1 players were hitting their stride, and in truth were too strong for a good Medway team. The level of skill, fitness and execution was very impressive, with the half time score 21 to 10, which was extended in the second half to 35 to 17 to retain our Kent sevens title of last season. Job Done!
The boys celebrated with their coaches, and fellow players across both teams, before receiving their trophy from Beckenham’s RFC Chairman. Thanks to Beckenham for organising a very good tournament, with the sight and sounds of 16 teams playing high quality rugby, with spectators and coaches alike watching games with beer in hand and the sun on their backs, almost making me reconsider my interpretation of this version of the game. But then I got a grip, took off my rose-tinted glasses, and remembered that it’s absolutely bloody brutal, and rugby should be played with 14 other friends/teammates.
As, what has been an amazing season ends, and we move into colts rugby, it must be said that this squad of players is a very special, talented bunch of boys, who have met and exceeded all the coaches’ expectations, with every squad member making gains and improving. Yes, it’s nice to beat teams, win trophies, and be well placed in league tables, but it’s equally as important to show humility and good grace in defeat and victory, care and support your teammates, and foster the sense of belonging and togetherness, that only team sport can give. Over the years this squad have consistently achieved this, with attitude and mindset undoubtedly playing a huge part in their success’s on and off the rugby field. Well done to all of them.
#itsonlythebeginning
3 weeks to the day of being awarded the Kent league and Kent cup title, the U16`s took 2 x teams over to Beckenham to defend their 2022 Kent 7`s title.
Sevens is a game slightly lost on me! Quite why anyone would want to play rugby on a full-size pitch whilst missing 8 teammates, is beyond my understanding, but luckily for the U16s we have a number of coaches who see beyond pain and exhaustion, and actually quite like it, even luckier is that we had nearly 30 boys make themselves available for selection for this tournament , including the majority of boys that won the Kent title last year. So, after selecting the 24 boys for the 2 x teams of 12, it was with nervous anticipation that we made our way to Beckenham.
It’s not unfair to say that the 2 teams selected were very different in their structure, with one being made up of what I would call traditional seven players (fashion conscious, coiffured hair, manicured nails, perma-tanned, and never far from a mirror) and the other team made up of mainly forwards !
Both teams were drawn in very difficult leagues, with Sidcup 1 (fashionable, coiffured etc, etc) drawn against Sevenoaks, Canterbury 1 and Gravesend, and Sidcup 2 drawn with Beccehamians, Blackheath and Medway .
Sidcup 2 kicked off proceedings against Beccehamians and despite a very spirited start which belied our forwards-based style, soon found themselves on the end of a 6 try to 3 try loss and down to a squad of 11, after we lost a player (who himself was a late addition following a last minute withdrawal for sickness), with an injured ankle. Further losses against Blackheath by 2 tries, and Medway by 4 (losing 2 more players in the process) put 9 man Sidcup 2 into the bowl Quarter final against Maidstone, who had finished 3rd in their group. With numbers low and with key positions missing, it really was time to step up, and did they ever! We had hookers at 1st receiver, 2nd rowers playing on the wing, 9`s in the centre, back rowers propping, and forwards drop kicking. I couldn’t tell you the final score, but we won by at least 3 tries and more importantly got a bit of self-belief back and dare I say it, almost seem to enjoy it. Our semi-final was against Aylesford Bulls and whereas we still had 9 players, 3 were now carrying little injuries which restricted game time, so all thoughts of structure were lost, as we had to almost constantly rotate players to keep 7 players on the pitch. Cutting to the chase we lost by 2 points 33-31, with a converted try in the last play of the match sealing our fate, but it was a fantastic effort by all players. The day ended on a high with supporters applauding both sides as they left the pitch after an extremely entertaining game of sevens. Being practical, I felt that if we had gone onto the final, it would have been a game to far, as we were in the main held together by determination and elastic bandage at this stage.
Sidcup 1 Kicked of their campaign against Sevenoaks in what was an extremely tight game with the final score 7-5 in Sevenoaks` favour. Unfortunately at this point pool games began to clash, so details of the other Sidcup 1 pool games are sketchy, but suffice to say we beat Gravesend in a feisty encounter (which saw 2 x players sinbinned for handbags) and then Canterbury 1 , who had earlier beaten Sevenoaks, meaning that we finished the group in first place with Old Alleynians waiting in the Cup quarter final.
This was a decent, close game, but we ran out winners by a couple of tries in the end, taking us to Blackheath in the semi-final. With Sidcup 2 having played and only narrowly losing to Blackheath, we had some knowledge of their danger players, although as a few of the Sidcup boys had played and trained with some of the Blackheath boys on the Saracens pathway, there were no real surprises, and after a close first half, we ran out winners by 2 tries.
Unlike Sidcup 2, Sidcup 1 had managed in the main to stay injury free, although one of the backs had chipped a nail and our number 10`s hair had been ruffled slightly, but both had declared themselves fit to play in the final against Medway, (another team from Sidcup 2`s league). By this stage in the tournament all the Sidcup 1 players were hitting their stride, and in truth were too strong for a good Medway team. The level of skill, fitness and execution was very impressive, with the half time score 21 to 10, which was extended in the second half to 35 to 17 to retain our Kent sevens title of last season. Job Done!
The boys celebrated with their coaches, and fellow players across both teams, before receiving their trophy from Beckenham’s RFC Chairman. Thanks to Beckenham for organising a very good tournament, with the sight and sounds of 16 teams playing high quality rugby, with spectators and coaches alike watching games with beer in hand and the sun on their backs, almost making me reconsider my interpretation of this version of the game. But then I got a grip, took off my rose-tinted glasses, and remembered that it’s absolutely bloody brutal, and rugby should be played with 14 other friends/teammates.
As, what has been an amazing season ends, and we move into colts rugby, it must be said that this squad of players is a very special, talented bunch of boys, who have met and exceeded all the coaches’ expectations, with every squad member making gains and improving. Yes, it’s nice to beat teams, win trophies, and be well placed in league tables, but it’s equally as important to show humility and good grace in defeat and victory, care and support your teammates, and foster the sense of belonging and togetherness, that only team sport can give. Over the years this squad have consistently achieved this, with attitude and mindset undoubtedly playing a huge part in their success’s on and off the rugby field. Well done to all of them.
#itsonlythebeginning
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