Following a triumphant season for Bracknell RUFC U15's, winning the Berkshire league undefeated for a third time, the boys went on the road to Poole to compete in a 2 day festival to finish the year off. Such is the strength and commitment of the U15 age group, Bracknell were able to field two teams, and in the spirit of tour this year the coaching staff selected two mixed sides, giving both A team and B team players the opportunity to play and support each other together.

The resulting Bulls and Stags played seven other club teams over two days in a round robin format. The first match saw the Bracknell teams warm up with an evenly fought contest against each other, ending in a 5-5 draw. This result showed how competitive the A/B mixed teams were and set the standard for the rest of the tournament.

With 3 more games to play on day one, the Bracknell Stags set a flying pace. Scoring tries with ease, they won all their games, including a majestic 35-0 win over Oakmeadians. The Stags also played fellow Berkshire team Reading Abbey, and our friendly rivalry continued with a 15-5 win for the Bracknell boys.

The Bulls had the harder draw on day one, and came up against some stiff opposition. One memorable victory was a hard fought 10-0 win against Berkshire league runners up Tadley, where all the Bracknell players stood up well against their A team. However, the Bulls did record the first defeat of the weekend against a very strong Welsh side, Rumney, whose players were both well drilled and aggressive and overpowered the Bulls side with a final score of 10-0.

Day two brought the more difficult matches for the Bracknell Stags but the Bracknell boys were ready for the challenge. In a repeat of the previous day's match against the Bulls, Rumney were strong enough to beat the Stags 10-0, despite the valiant efforts of all the Bracknell players and some try line drama. The Stags went on to record another win against Tadley, but a 10-10 draw against Wallingford was not enough to take them into the final and they finished in third position in the group.

The Bulls recorded second day wins against Reading Abbey and Oakmeadians, and a third 10-0 victory over Cheshunt secured the Bracknell team second place in the group and a place in the final against Rumney.

With fantastic support from the Stags, the Bulls certainly matched Rumney again in passion and commitment, but unfortunately the Welsh team were again too strong and the Bulls suffered their second defeat of the festival going down 20-0 and therefore finishing in second place. Despite the loss, Bracknell U15 A/B teams came away with silverware for runners up and third place, a magnificent achievement against seven other clubs all fielding "A" squads. The level of commitment, attitude and support shown by these young men for each other was an example to everyone else, and all the proud parents were overwhelmed by their achievements.

After a well earned break, Bracknell return to business next season as U16's and a fresh challenge in the Berks and Bucks league.

Further pictures from the tour can be viewed on the BRFC website by clicking here. Note: You will need to log onto to the website to view.

GO BRFC!