Glorious weather greeted the start of Intraclub Touch Festival on the 12th July. Your committee was very pleased that everyone had taken note of the need for regular hydration throughout the day with the Honorary Club Steward reporting excellent receipts at the bar!!!

With eight teams entered the format was changed two pools of four all playing each other, 4th played, 4th, 3rd v 3rd, 2nd v 2nd and finally 1st played 1st to find out who was going to be club champions. The eight teams entered were Colts, Vets, Touch & U18 Girls, 2 x U16 Boys & Girls, 2 x U14 Boys & an U12 Boys. Both the Ladies & the Mens sections were notable by their absence although Sean Deller was playing for the Vets team!

The pool matches were hard fought with everyone playing well and showing off with some slick ball handling. Games ebbed and flowed and it was clear that the day was going to be settled with fine margins.

But there has to be one winner & that was going to be the Colts (multiple previous winners) or everyone’s favourites the Vets. They produced a cracking final & whilst many assumed the Colts would run away with it, they underestimated the skill, determination & sheer doggedness of the Vets! At the end of normal play, the game was a draw which meant extra time.

Extra time in Touch is called a drop off as you have to reduce from 6 players to four, creating more attacking space. This proved good news for the Colts who could use their younger legs to runaround the gallant Vets, scoring two tries to win the tournament!!

Many thanks to the refs Nick Foster, Bhas, Stuart Hazelton & Jon Bunyard. Many thanks also to the organisers Neli, Simmo & Fluffy the timekeeper! Thanks as well to Karen Barnes for firing up the BBQ and feeding the masses.