Clacton Rugby Club brought their playing season to a close last Sunday [1st May 2011] when they held their annual ‘May Day Sevens’ competition. This is an invitational seven-a-side event that the club has been hosting for a number of years, with the teams competing for the Ernie Tweedy Memorial Shield.
A week prior to the event, it looked as if there would nearly be the maximum number of entries However, four late withdrawals in the days leading up to the event meant that there were seven sides in attendance – Colchester Teachers, Old Brentwoods, Ongar, Orwell Park [Ipswich] and Passmores Crusaders [Harlow], plus two entries from the Clacton club itself.
The recent spell of dry weather meant the Vista Road pitches were both hard and dusty, and the keen wind took the edge off the Clacton sunshine. Nevertheless, the seven teams all played each other in a round-robin series of 21 games, before Clacton emerged as the unbeaten winners. The recently retired Dave Jaffray was on hand to present the Ernie Tweedy Shield and medals to the winners. Runners-up, and recipients of the Plate trophy, were Old Brentwoods, who just pipped Passmores Crusaders in the final match of the day.
The day was a success for the club, but it would not have been possible without the referees, and the club is grateful to Andy Grimwood, Matt Mahoney, Chris Mallion and Connor Maleary for their assistance during the afternoon.
Results:
Pitch One Pitch Two
|
Clacton
|
31
|
Teachers
|
0
|
|
Kestrels
|
0
|
Old Brentwoods
|
46
|
|
Ongar
|
12
|
Orwell Park
|
17
|
|
Passmores
|
10
|
Clacton
|
26
|
|
Teachers
|
17
|
Kestrels
|
12
|
|
Ongar
|
7
|
Old Brentwoods
|
31
|
|
Orwell Park
|
0
|
Clacton
|
22
|
|
Teachers
|
0
|
Old Brentwoods
|
28
|
|
Kestrels
|
0
|
Passmores
|
45
|
|
Clacton
|
48
|
Ongar
|
0
|
|
Teachers
|
14
|
Passmores
|
19
|
|
Kestrels
|
33
|
Orwell Park
|
21
|
|
Clacton
|
10
|
Old Brentwoods
|
7
|
|
Teachers
|
19
|
Ongar
|
0
|
|
Orwell Park
|
0
|
Passmores
|
41
|
|
Kestrels
|
0
|
Clacton
|
43
|
|
Old Brentwoods
|
35
|
Orwell Park
|
7
|
|
Passmores
|
39
|
Ongar
|
7
|
|
Teachers
|
14
|
Orwell Park
|
26
|
|
Kestrels
|
22
|
Ongar
|
15
|
|
Old Brentwoods
|
17
|
Passmores
|
15
|
|
|
|
|
|
The final table:
|
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
For
|
Against
|
Diff
|
Points
|
|
Clacton
|
6
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
180
|
17
|
+163
|
12
|
|
Old Brentwoods
|
6
|
5
|
0
|
1
|
164
|
39
|
+143
|
10
|
|
Passmores Crusaders
|
6
|
4
|
0
|
2
|
169
|
64
|
+105
|
8
|
|
Colchester Teachers
|
6
|
2
|
0
|
4
|
64
|
116
|
-52
|
4
|
|
Orwell Park
|
6
|
2
|
0
|
4
|
71
|
157
|
-86
|
4
|
|
Clacton Kestrels
|
6
|
2
|
0
|
4
|
67
|
187
|
-120
|
4
|
|
Ongar
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
6
|
41
|
176
|
-135
|
0
|