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U18 Cup Hitchin RFC Weekend of Rugby

With a shared ambition to support the development of rugby the partnership between LV= and Hitchin Rugby Club was always destined to be a success, however I don’t think anyone was quite prepared for just how amazing the LV= Hitchin Rugby Weekend was going to be.

Even the weather played along as a full weekends programme was completed in glorious sunshine, and not a drop of rain.

This is the second year of the LV= / Hitchin RFC partnership and last year’s event had already set the bar high, so the team at Hitchin had looked to expand with an ambitious 3 day ‘festival of rugby’.

First up, on the Friday under lights, was the first ever LV= Ladies Cup, this tournament was designed to accommodate as many female players as possible so, as well as 5 teams entering a 6th ‘invitational’ team….the Pink Panthers….completed the line up.

Women’s rugby has been crying out for some serious support to get it onto the same level as the men’s game, both Hitchin RFC and LV= love this type of challenge but it was really down to the quality of the play to make this step change. Yes Hitchin RFC and LV= laid on a superb event, all teams were made very welcome, first class facilities and beautiful pitch and some of the top young referees in the county but the ladies had to deliver…….and they did just that and more!

The standard of rugby was superb, amazing commitment from every team and player who all seemed to be relishing the support of a buoyant crowd. An evening of intense rugby along a ‘Super 10s’ format cumulated in a hard fought final between Peterborough and Hitchin’s very own ladies team. As hosts the Hitchin team had the lion’s share of support but, in keeping with the ethos of the event, the open and clinical style of the Peterborough Moo Moo’s was applauded by one and all. The two teams had battled out a thrilling draw earlier in the completion but when it came to the final the Peterborough team came out on top, it sounds like a cliché but can be said in all honestly Rugby was the real winner on the night. An evening of entertainment followed with talk of next year’s LV= Ladies Cup a major topic of the post match banter.

On the Saturday of their LV=Weekend Hitchin RFC dedicated a day to themselves and their players. First up the ‘young hogs’ in the ever swelling Mini & Youth section (with over 400 members) enjoyed some fun and games (the obligatory bouncy castle) and the Hitchin U11s entertained Robert Bloomfield School in a fierce encounter, Hitchin U11s running out winners 10 trys to 4 to claim the LV= Minis Cup.

The afternoon was then handed on to the men’s senior side of the club who had already played an active part in supporting the LV= Ladies Cup and the LV= Minis, so they had a lot to live up to. What followed, witnessed by one of the largest crowds of the season, was quite possibly the best game of Rugby in many years at King Georges Playing Fields. The ‘very best’ U23s vs the ‘very best’ Over 23s players from Hitchin decided to throw everything (and some) into a superb contest for the clubs very own John Drew Cup……..as summed up afterwards ‘No Quarter was asked, no quarter was given’. In a game of high intensity and commitment the final result, a 28 -28 draw, seemed somewhat justice and we eagerly await the return fixture next season!

So…..2 days into the weekend and the club had already created some amazing memories, won over many new friends and really paid justice to the support of LV= and their combined ambition to support the development of rugby, at all levels and across all boundaries. Only the small matter of a full Sunday of rugby to follow, the now established (in only its second year) LV= U18s Plate and Cup final. This competition started back in October with 32 of the best U18s sides from across the South of England and after much rugby it now came down to 4 teams to contest the honours. The plate final saw a spectacle of attacking rugby with Colchester pitched against Chinnor, a game that could have gone either way resulted in the Colchester Team holding aloft the LV= U18s plate with Chinnor holding their heads high after giving everything and entertaining the partisan crowd.

With one final game of rugby to be played the last run of the tractor pepped up the superb Hitchin surface for the LV= U18s cup final between Westcliff and OAs. Westcliff had travelled from Essex with one thing on their mind, winning the Cup and they soon put the OAs team to the sword with some electrifying attacking rugby, OAs competed well but as the game moved on the Westcliff team just had too much and with 10mins to go the result was assured and Westcliff were crowned the LV= U18s Cup winners. For a completion in only its second year it was again testament to the outstanding commitment from LV= and the vision and delivery of Hitchin Rugby Club.

Thanks go to everyone who made this a truly memorable weekend and roll on next season!

Videos

Ladies Cup Final



The Ladies Cup: http://youtu.be/Y3lOvVvaf3Q



The Cup Final: http://youtu.be/npOhl0qOE34



The Plate Final: http://youtu.be/EO_Hb-Wif5A
   

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Hitchin Rugby Limited, King George V Playing Fields, Old Hale Way, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG5 1XL England, Charity No. 1159772
enquiries@hitchinrugby.com T: +44 (0)1462 432679