GIRLS from across Devon converged on Newton Abbott RFC last Sunday (April 30) for the season ending and traditional Girls Rugby Festival.

With numbers low for most clubs, Crediton included, the Under 18’s responded to an offer from Sidmouth Girls to join forces so that girls from both clubs could compete.

The clubs have always had a friendly rivalry through the years with close games, normally only won by a single score.

The girls all know each other and get on well and it was this factor that saw them slip easily into a rhythm and produce some intelligent passing moves supplemented with outstanding contact and breakdown work. 

The tournament started with a round robin played between the five teams entered and the girls wrapped up the four victories that they needed to get themselves a place in the final.

The Final itself matched them against the Exeter Saracens side who had run them close in the pool games but, having worked out a game plan of how best to counter the oppositions strengths and use their own advantages to their best, they overcame the challenge to end the day with smiles, hugs and collected the Abbey Brown Trophy for their not inconsiderable efforts, scoring 32 try’s through the day and conceding only three throughout the tournament.

The Crediton girls featured heavily across the day with a proliferation of tries, assists, storming tackles and forcing turnovers.

Congratulations to: Jemima Yeandle, Poppy Barnes, Lara Hill and Tilly Pulfer for their efforts and contributions and, with all of these girls eligible to continue in the black and amber shirts next season, there is hope that the success of the day carries into more good times when they return after the summer break.

Thanks to everyone at Newton Abbott RFC for a fantastic day with the whole tournament being superbly organised from start to finish, ensuring that all the many many girls in attendance could just enjoy the end of season atmosphere and play quality rugby.

Andrew Drayton