For the second year running CRFC fielded a full team of seven WR players to Seaford’s one day Walking Rugby social tournament held at their ground by the sea. Five other teams participated - Burgess Hill, Barns Green and three Seaford teams SWR1, SWR2 and a selection of Seaford’s 1st Team players.
After some animated discussions the borrowed CRFC gazebo was pitched and with fine weather and firm ground and looking good in their match kit the team was ready.
Crowborough’s opening game against SWR1 proved an encouraging start and was particularly evenly matched. After two 7minute halves the score was SWR 2 / CRFC 1 (James Kay scored) with much of the game being played in the opponent’s half.
In the second match against Seaford WR2 teams were reduced to 6 a side as Seaford were a person short however the score was the same with a 2:1 (David Price) win for SWR2. On conclusion of the match the tournament coordinator Andrew Cambridge made a point of complementing Crowborough on the quality of its defence.
The third game against Burgess Hill was a 3:1 (Andy Posnett) victory to BHWR again with Crowborough having much of the ball but unable to convert this advantage to a match win.
The 4th game was a good game for Crowborough against a mixed selection of mainly 1st 15 players from Seaford and ended up as a 3:3 draw (David Price, Andy Posnett, David Beale ‘Dobby’ scoring) the game was fast and fun with good ball handling by Crowborough but speed wise the team was showing signs of slowing after 8 halves. This is where a couple of substitutes off the bench would have been welcomed
The last game against Barnes Green was again down to 6 aside due to the opponents being a team members short following a WR League competition the day before taking its toll on team members available and some no shows. Final score 5:1 (James Kay)
At the conclusion Seaford hosted a very welcome buffet lunch in their club house and Tournament coordinator (Andrew Cambridge) thanked all visiting teams for supporting the tournament and announced that Burgess Hill was the overall wining team and diplomatically said that all other teams were ranked ‘much of a muchness’ and came joint second.
Thanks are due to James Reading for coordinating the involvement of CRFC and team members in the tournament and to Peter Morris for managing activities on the day and to James Kay for providing some additional zip as a new team member and for bringing down the average age of team members now to just below 70!
On departure Andrew Cambridge again made the comment that he was impressed with Crowborough’s general improvement since last year and they are keen to arrange a friendly against us at Steel Cross.
CRFC Team - Peter Morris, James Kay, Dobby Beale, David Price, Nigel Owen, Andrew Posnett, Chris Morgan