By Phillip Browne
The weather gods were smiling on the London Tag Rugby community last Saturday with London producing a superb sunny 30 degree day with little wind for the 2012 London Tag Rugby Championships; the biggest event on the London Tag Rugby calendar!
28 teams descended on the East London Rugby club in West Ham to battle it out for the coveted title of who will be the best Tag Rugby team in London. Amongst the 28 teams were special guests, Bircroft Panthers & Panther Bears from Dublin as well as the Cyborg Sharpshooters from Reading.
However this year’s event belonged to Acton champions, Tumeke, as they opened their campaign with a strong 12-1 victory over Gladstone Park’s, Jerome Brecard’s No Stars Who Love Maree! They were up against Finsbury Park’s, Boom! in the second round and managed to secure a tight 6-5 win. The third round saw them put out another strong showing with an 18-2 victory over Wandsworth’s, Astroburn.
With only two teams going through the pool stages undefeated (Bircroft Panthers & Tumeke), Acton’s premier team now had to face the much fancied Southfield Sharks in the semi finals. Tumeke sealed an 8-2 triumph which was a lot closer than the score indicated and earned a place in the final against the Irish powerhouses, Bircroft Panthers.
In a nail biter of a final, Tumeke scored first and were never behind on the scoreboard but the Bircroft Panthers were always in it until the final whistle. The final score ended up 4-3 to Tumeke who secured the 2012 London Tag Rugby Championship trophy!
In the Men’s division, Garlic Towers reigned supreme with a 4-2 defeat over Finsbury Park’s The Hardy Boyz in the final, whilst in the Mixed Social division the Panther Bears of Dublin were too strong for Reading’s Cyborg Sharpshooters with a 10-0 victory in the final.
To register for a Try Tag Rugby competition or event, go to www.trytagrugby.com or email info@trytagrugby.com for more details.
[ Source: Australian Times ]