Another triumph for Sevenoaks Rugby Club Under 14s at the Colchester & Eastern Counties Festival

SEVENOAKS Rugby Club won the Colchester & Eastern Counties Under 14s Festival on Sunday, collecting the John Motum Plate following a campaign of five wins against teams from Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk.

The frenetic 15-a-side format comprised four matches of seven minutes each way played across two groups of five teams. The route to the final saw Sevenoaks secure victories in all their four group games, against Ipswich A, Ipswich B, North Walsham and Mersea Island. Ipswich A was the pick of the matches, with both sides going hard at it before Sevenoaks ran out 5-0 winners.

On the other side of the draw a sporting and quality Beccles outfit battled through to the final also undefeated and having secured one additional try-scoring bonus point to Sevenoaks. The teams lined up on the Colchester 1st XV pitch in anticipation of a highly entertaining and spirited final.

Oaks dominated from early on and before long barraged through the middle to open the scoring. When Beccles then had a crack at Oaks, the navy and golds’ defensive line held firm and the teams turned around for the second half with Sevenoaks maintaining its narrow one try advantage.

Oaks play an expansive style of rugby and when the ball was moved it went rapidly to the outside channels, and a second try out wide effectively sealed the victory and with it the John Motum Plate for the Festival Winners.

Sevenoaks were inaugural winners of the Festival when it launched in 1993 and Sunday’s success for the Under 14s was one of several highlights in another outstanding weekend for Sevenoaks Rugby Club.