Maids return with silverware from Rodez

29-30th September 2007

A combined Maidenhead U12/13 team competed in the 5th international rugby tournament in Rodez.

40 teams entered the largest international event of its type – with teams coming from Australia, South Africa, Italy, all the 5 British Isles, & all the regions of France. Around 800 boys (& some girls) compete in this prestigious tournament.

Maids were the English representatives & played their qualifying matches on the Sunday morning. They beat stiff French opposition from Limoges (1-0) ,LSO (2-0) & Bourgoin(2-1) before tripping up 1-3 against strongly fancied Montpellier. However, they finished 2nd in their group & qualified for the top 16 competitions in the afternoon – the best performance by a Maidenhead team to date.

Unfortunately, they were drawn against the tournament favourites (& eventual winners), Beziers, in the first match & lost a hard fought game 2-0. That put them in the plate competition where they played 3 further matches. They narrowly lost their first game against Belfast Academy by 1-0 but recovered brilliantly to beat Stade Francais 2-1 & then Tyrosse by the same score.

That put them in line to win the tournament plate – which they duly were awarded in the evening Award ceremony.

Congratulations to the Maidenhead team:
Owen Langstone, Andrew McGregor, Marcus Bateson, Matt Balmer, Cameron Avery, Colin Kerrins, Angus Hickey, Martin Harris, Kieran Egan, Jonny Garius, James O’Connor, Pranav Pillai, George Chetwood, George Dutton, Ruth Dow, Simon Graham, Peter Watt, Jake Nightingale & Matt Price