RUGBY: Ciren RFC's annual youth sevens festival proves a big hit (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

RUGBY: Ciren RFC's annual youth sevens festival proves a big hit

9:50am Thursday 10th May 2012 in Sport

CIRENCESTER RFC's annual Youth Rugby Sevens festival attracted 400 players representing 40 teams at the May Bank Holiday weekend for a competition now acknowledged as the longest running Youth Rugby Sevens club event in the country.

The Whiteway grounds looked immaculate for this year's Tournament held on the fine and sunny Sunday. Local company sponsorship this year was provided by Relish, Somewhere Else, BJC Europe and Cirencester Rotary Club.

Under 16s player Callan Richards was one of seven outstanding Ciren players selected by the independent referees as best player of their agegroup. He was awarded the Kevin McQuillan Memorial Shield. Ben Robinson lifted the Carter Shield in the U15s and Will Haley picked up the best player shield in the U14s.

New emerging talent was acknowledged with Rhys Humphries winning the Mick Clapton Fair Play Award in the U13s; Jack Mann in the U12s and Jack Corry in the U11s. - his first year competing in Rugby 7s.

In the U18s girls agegroup, Molly Birchmore received the John Sawyer Trophy (unknown to the Refs she was awarded a similar trophy at U15s level last year). The trophy was presented by Mary Sawyer from Relish, one of the main sponsors. Molly's U18s team, SuperMiren won the Relish Shield with Chipping Sodbury's - Sodbury Storm, girl's team as runners-up and Cinderford third placed.

The main trophy, The Hugh Evans Memorial Shield, was played for by five Colts U18s teams. In the two most fiercely contested and exciting finals ever seen at the sevens both the Shield and the Plate finals went to extra-time and sudden death play-offs after Cirencester had been knocked out in the pool games.. The Village People from Cheltenham were victorious over Gus Collier-Bristow's Cheltenham BaBas team in a gripping 10 points to 5 final well fitting for the 35 years of history behind the magnificently refurbished Hugh Evans Memorial Shield. Stow beat Marling in an equally showpiece game to lift the Plate.

At U16s an unbeaten Old Patesians won the final for The Halcrow Shield against Painswick 17-7. Minety pipped Cirencester two tries to nil to take home the U16s Plate.

The best result of the day went to Cirencester who won the Alder King U15s Shield putting Chosen Hill into the Runners-up spot 17-14. This was a hotly contested agegroup with Cirencester handsomely winning its pool games against Worcester, Minety and Cheltenham.

Bath showed the way at the Alder King U14s Shield final game by beating Bredon Star 12-10 by a conversion. Cirencester convincingly outplayed Stow in the Plate final 34-5.

At U13s Cirencester missed 3rd place against Minety, with Cheltenham Tigers handsomely winning the Kellands Cotswolds Shield against Bradford on Avon.

CRFC picked up two runners-up trophies at U12s and U11s.

Cirencester were runners-up in the U12s beaten by a single try from Old Patesians in the John Sawyer Shield final.

And Cirencester were also runners-up in the debutante U11s D & J Sports Shield final against Minety. Dursley won the Plate against Stroud.

Cirencester Rugby Football Club celebrated one of its most successful weekends ever with senior rugby winning its Cup fixtures and the Ciren Sevens upholding its fantastic reputation as the best end of season friendly youth festival on the RFU calendar.