South Warwickshire side clinch Warwickshire District RFU Championship

On a blustery day at the home of Old Laurentians RFC, Souths Warwickshire kicked off the final round of matches as the only unbeaten side, having previously enjoyed wins over Coventry District and North Warwickshire.

The script was torn up however by a Rugby District side that was determined not to let their campaign end winless, and who took an early lead with a well worked try. SW hit back quickly as winger Will Shelton and Joe Johnston combined on a 70 metre move to see the Leamington Colt’s full back score his second try of the competition.

Despite scoring a second try soon after, a Rugby side playing a direct, physical game stunned the South team (made up of players from Alcester, Stratford, Harbury, Old Leamingtonians and a core of 7 Leamington RFC Colts with 2 more scores, to lead 19-12 at the break.

Another converted try and a penalty left the League leaders with a 17 point mountain to climb in the last quarter. A nicely worked try narrowed the gap, but with the clock in the red a final penalty move that saw a converted try bring South within 4 points of Rugby seemed like small consolation.

That is until the organisers revealed that with two teams tied on 6 points from two wins, the rules state that the title would be decided on tries scored over the 3 matches. It could not have been tighter - that final minute, last gasp South Warwickshire score had edged them ahead of North Warwickshire by 13 tries to 12.

It was a fitting end to a great competition - since Christmas nearly 200 Under-17 players from just about every Colts side in Warwickshire had taken part in training sessions or matches, a wonderful way to experience representative rugby with and against old friends and rivals from across Warwickshire.