MANCHESTER 7’S
A mini rugby tour in the North! Brilliant.
Manchester 7’s, now in its second year of existence, was a very well organised event with an exciting range of rugby to compete in and watch too.
Click here to find out how the Sharks got on…..
Day One – Friday 10th July
Arrival time 17.09hrs
Macclesfield RUFC, the Manchester 7’s competition site.
Undeterred by the short hike from Car Park C, the Sharks were in high spirits. After a quick browse around the facility, a base camp was erected following careful consideration of all available resources and optimal geographical location. Time for a beer.....or vodka.
Day Two – Saturday 11th July
08.36hrs
A new arrival today in the form of foreign exchange rugby player Kelli Nusum, of Bermudan origin. Lucky for us, Kelli just happened to be hanging out in the area and agreed to put on a Sharks shirt. It was a good job we provided this for her as she didn’t arrive with much else! As it happens, a passion for rugby was all that was required and this was certainly apparent in abundance. Prior to the commencement of the tournament we had to awaken ‘the Sloth’ aka Dancing Sue from her love-nest-come-clapt out van. Enough respect to the girl that only arrived in Manchester at 05.30hrs after an overnight driving/ breakdown session. Could be time for some new wheels Sue.
Game One 11.20hrs
We were scheduled to take on the Akuma Smurfs in our first pool match of Group B, however on arrival at the designated pitch and following a rigorous warm up we were informed that our opposition had failed to register in the competition. Not easily disheartened, the girls quickly arranged a friendly game against the Pirates, a team that looked more Scandinavian than Pugwash.
The first half was a fierce and very evenly contested affair with both teams scoring some quality points. During the second half, the Pirate philosophy seemed to be ‘all change’ with fresh legs running hard and putting the Sharks under pressure early on. Despite the strain, our defensive patterns held firm until the last couple of minutes when the opposition stole a hard fought victory. A loss yes, but many positives were taken onboard, including a Pirate player – Hayley who defected to the better team!
Game Two 13.40hrs
Next up to face the ever progressive Sharks were the Wooden Spoons. The Spooners, a familiar force in the world of 7’s rugby were sure to be tough opposition from the onset but the Sharks made a confident and aggressive start, really taking the game to the favourites. Some fine rugby (and a couple of lucky bounces) saw the Spoons take the lead but the underdogs fought hard to level the try count by half time. During the second half, the opposition seemed to find their stride and the Sharks, despite some good opportunities, just couldn’t seem to get over the whitewash. The final result was a Spoons victory of four tries to one.
Game Three 15.00hrs
Although scheduled to play at 16.40hrs, a mutual decision from the Sharks camp, Manchester Ladies and the tournament officials saw the game brought forward more than an hour and a half. Some may say this was an efficient use of time, though most would insist that it made no sense wasting all that precious drinking time. Game on.
This time the girls were truly on fire. Taking no prisoners from the whistle, flashy winger Morag Paterson nimbly stole a brace of tries early on. The opposition had no response. Then when back row beast Ruth Nash started charging down kicks with her face whilst simultaneously knocking seven bells out of her opponents, Manchester knew they were in trouble. It was late on in the game when super speedy Jennifer Edwards unleashed the secret weapon, her double footed chip and chase speciality....yes, this really does need to be seen to be believed. The end result was quite a few to one in favour of the Sharks. A well deserved win and the perfect platform for the evening’s entertainment ahead.
And the theme is.... 19.34hrs
GRANNIES! Despite some off-putting tales of older generation horror during the previous evening, the Sharks really went to town in dressing up for the nocturnal events. A true highlight was 7’s specialist scrum half Emma Lloyd’s old woman wig....a real monstrosity. Perhaps even more entertaining was Jen’s take on the classic walking aid – the Zimmer frame.
So, disguised in social secretary Rosie Mangle’s ingenious fancy dress idea, the Sharks hit the party marquee and continued to make quite a splash as the night drew on. With £200 worth of beer tokens on offer for the best dressed squad, team members such as ‘Smashley’ Wright and lifeguard Leni Smith were leaving nothing to chance, even donning the silver fox look courtesy of a generous helping of talcum powder.
“We were robbed!” screamed the excessively long Emily CTJ. Not many would have disagreed, but the girls were pipped at the post by the very topical ‘Swine Flu’ boys. Enough said, on with the intoxication.
Day Three – Sunday 12th July
09.45hrs
Some bright spark had the fantastic idea of heading to the local supermarket for a cooked breakfast. A fine suggestion in theory however on arrival to the destination, we discovered every other team had decided to do the same resulting in an hour long delay for food. Plan B. Scotch eggs, strawberries and donuts and a seat in the back of a car, no doubt just as good.
Game Four 12.20hrs
Having concluded yesterday sitting second in Group B behind the Spoons, the Sharks were tasked with taking on the top of Group C, a familiar foe, the Pirates.
The game was played on Pitch 1 in front of a small crowd and despite some sore heads, stiff necks and numerous bruises (Granny bag bashing was a favourite the previous evening), the girls really fronted up and started the match off with a bang. Pressuring their opposition into making mistakes early on, the Sharks maintained a clean sheet through a steadfast defence. But the resilient Pirates fought back hard to score a couple around the flanks by the half time whistle.
Following the restart the Sharks truly lived up their team philosophy….’til I die…
Luckily, no-one passed away but with bags of passion, some hard graft and so very nearly a great try (the video ref would certainly have ruled in our favour) the team held their own and left the field, not with a victory but certainly with their heads held high.
Bring on Newquay!
Manchester 7’s Squad 2009
Players Emma Lloyd
Jennifer Edwards
Ashley Wright
Morag Paterson
Leni Smith
Emily CTJ
Ruth Nash
Sue Hirst
Kelli Nusum (Bermudan import)
Hayley (Pirate poach)
Staff Rosie Mangle
Georgina Roberts