Clean sweep for Winchester RFC (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Clean sweep for Winchester RFC

5:08pm Wednesday 14th May 2008 in Sport

WINCHESTER RFC enjoyed an excellent set of results on their end-of-season tour to Saint Lô, France.

More than 100 players represented the club, from U9 to U15, in the Tournoi du Bocage.

The U9 A side followed up their draw against Cherbourg with two comfortable wins, brushing aside Argentan in the semifinal.

But the final against Caen resulted in controversy with the French side claiming some of Winchester's players were too old and refused to take to the field.

As a result, the organisers awarded Winchester the winners' trophy.

The U9B squad included some of the club's U7 side and made it through to the plate. They knocked out Winchester's C team in the semis, but lost a narrow final 1-0 to Countances.

James Pike was voted Winchester's U9 player of the tournament.

Despite facing physically bigger, more experienced teams, Winchester's U11 A squad advanced from the pool stages undefeated and went on to win the final.

The B and C teams progressed through to the plate tournament, and squared off in the semis.

The B squad advanced 2-0 in a hard fought game and won the final convincingly.

William Rayner was nominated for the "spirit of the tour"

award for his determination on the field, as well as his comradeship off it.

The U13 team were in fine form in the pool round of matches, winning their games 11-0, 3-0 and 3-1. They breezed past the hosts 8-1 in the semis, setting up a final against Cherbourg watched by about 400 people.

The big crowd did not affect the team, as Tom Burgess, James Falconer, Jack Fifield and Alex Hill all ran in two tries each, while Alex Slowen added another for a 9-0 win.

With a shortage of players, the U15 squad had no substitutes for their matches - but that didn't stop them claiming the winners' trophy.

The first pool match, against Parisian side Rueil Malmaison, resulted in a 3-0 win, before Winchester edged out Caen 4-3 in a thrilling encounter.

A 0-0 draw with Cherbourg was enough to see Winchester through to the semi-finals.

There, they comfortbaly swept Felrs aside 7-0 to set up a final with Caen.

Winchester gained a stranglehold on the game, taking a 2-0 break into half-time, before Greg Ruchat scored the tournament's final try to make it 3-0 and seal the trophy.