MORE than 40 players were part of the fun as Claverdon rugby-lovers kept themselves in trim ahead of any start of the regular season with an Autumn Sevens competition.
There has been an overwhelming sense of disappointment at the Rod Noon Memorial Theatre of Dreams – home of the Lions – with members of the 55-year-old institution having long been resigned to the fact competitive rugby is still some way off.
So, instead of what should have been the first league fixture of the new season, the club organised an internal club Sevens touch rugby competition in line with the latest guidance from the RFU.
More than 40 senior players and Colts turned up to compete on Saturday for the honour of winning the inaugural ‘Stanley Kirk Burrell’ Trophy.
Fortunately, the great weather allowed the club to put all the social distancing plans – which the committee have been working so hard to achieve over the last few weeks – into action, which safely accommodated the many supporters who turned up.
The younger players showed their pace and enthusiasm, whilst the older players were able to explain to them at length why they were doing it wrong!
The referees (or perhaps lazier club players) were inconsistent and seemed to have only a vague grasp of the rules!
After 14 frantic games, which started off with a friendly feel but soon got competitive, one of the teams was named the winner and the others were not.
Nobody remembers which team won, except the players who were on that team obviously!
Everyone agreed, although it is not rugby as we know and love it yet, this was a great substitute and an excellent day was had by all.
In a hopeful return to more normal times soon, the club can see this becoming a permanent annual summer event.