On Sunday, the Sidcup U13's rugby team travelled to Medway to participate in their first-ever Kent 7s tournament. However, the weather was far from ideal, and the conditions were tough for both parking and playing rugby. Despite this, Sidcup was able to field 2 x teams of 12, the Pumas and Wallabies.
Both teams were drawn in difficult leagues with the Pumas drawn against Cranbrook and OA's whilst the Wallabies drawn against Canterbury 2's and OA's 2's.
The first game saw Sidcup Wallabies take on Canterbury in heavy rain, and they managed to secure a win after a tense first half with a 5 try to 1 try victory. Meanwhile, the Sidcup Pumas played Cranbrook, winning comfortably running in 3 tries without conceeding. The Wallabies then went on to establish another win over Old Alleynians in a close fought 4-2 try victory, while the Pumas faced Old Alleynians in the next game, emerging victorious 2-1 despite a tense second half that saw an OA’s player being subbed off due to a dangerous tackle on the Sidcup scrum-half, ending his tournament early.
Both teams progressed to the quarter-finals with Sidcup Pumas easing past Beccahamians 7-0 to move into the the Cup semi-finals. The Siducp Wallabies match showcased two very different styles of play, with Blackheath relying on one or two big players while Sidcup spun the ball wide and used the full width of the pitch to their advantage. The match was tense, with each team scoring and the Blackheath crowd getting louder with each tackle, try, or dropped pass. In the end, Sidcup's bench proved the key to stopping Blackheath's big runners, and they managed to secure the win with 2 late tries ending 4-2 in favour of Sidcup.
There was a long wait before the semi-final of the Cup matches were announced, with both Sidcup teams competing for the Cup. The first match announced was Canterbury vs Sidcup Pumas, followed by Sevenoaks vs Sidcup Wallabies. Could there be an all Sidcup final?
First of it was the Pumas who had to avenge their only defeat and beat this year’s Kent waterfall winners Canterbury. The stakes were high, the boys knew it the parents knew it and it appeared the rest of the teams present knew it, as a large crowd had gathered around Pitch (Mudpit) 2. The spectacle was never going to be a free running affair and the first half ended 2-2 after a very physical encounter under difficult conditions. The second half started with the same intensity, but a determined Sidcup team held the Canterbury attack and ran in two tries to progress to the final with a 4-2 win, setting up the first stage of an all Sidcup final.
The Sidcup Wallabies would need to beat a strong Sevenoaks team to see an all Sidcup final, but with the Fly-half, Scrum-half and Winger already out of action after the Blackheath match it was always going to be difficult. Sevenoaks ended the hopes of an all Sidcup final with a 5-0 victory over the Wallabies setting up the Sidcup vs Sevenoaks Final.
The final was played on the same pitch, which was now a muddy mess, and the Sidcup team started slowly, with Sevenoaks establishing dominance and scoring first. But with very little time left on the clock, Sidcup changed their game plan, running the ball straight and protecting it at all costs. Their strength and depth proved too much for Sevenoaks, and they ran in two tries to win the match, becoming Kent 7s champions in frankly hideous conditions.
The determination of the Sidcup Pumas was evident throughout the tournament, with the captain Josh Little inspiring his team with his rousing words, "No one else is going to lift that trophy today – it’s ours." Despite the challenging weather conditions and tough opponents, they played with grit and determination, ultimately emerging victorious. Congratulations to the Sidcup U13's on their impressive win!
The 7s performance capped a successful season where Sidcup finished runners up to Canterbury in the Kent League 15-a-side in a close-fought final.