Egremont Rugby Union club got the 14/15 season off to a great start at the weekend. The club hosted its first junior 7’s tournament on Saturday morning, with 5 local Under 15 age group teams providing some excellent entertainment for a large and appreciative crowd.

Overall victory went to Hawcoat Park from Barrow, who finished the strongest team from the ‘round-robin’ tournament. The teams involved were Hawcoat Park A and B, Cockermouth, Netherall and hosts Egremont, all of whom played fast and attractive rugby in the format of the game which is proving so popular and which is due to become the newest sport to achieve Olympic recognition at the Rio de Janeiro games in 2016.

Following the trophy presentation, all teams and spectators enjoyed a superb hog roast to end an event which was rated as a huge success and which surely will become an early season institution at Egremont Rugby Union Club.

The senior end of the club was also in action on Saturday, with the 1st to Penrith 2nds in the first round of the League Cup. The squad had trained well and travelled to Penrith with a confidence that looked fully justified when powerful openside flanker Lee Stamper crashed over for the second of his two tries within the first 15 minutes of the match. Egremont settled into an impressive rhythm throughout the first half, playing well-drilled and attractive 15 man rugby which Penrith found impossible to counter.

Andy Donaldson added another excellent team try to the tally, and when veteran prop John Musgrave appeared on the wing to dart over for a 4th looked as though the match was safely in the bag. However, Penrith had other ideas and surged back into the game against a now flagging Egremont pack, scoring 4 tries of their own to set up a very tense finish that never would have seemed likely at half time. Fortunately, the impressively reliable left boot of Egremont fly-half Patrick Williamson kept drilling Penrith back deep into their own territory and, following a lineout from just such a kick, the Egremont forwards set up a very well-executed rolling maul try scored by Karl Connor, which ensured that this gripping early season contest was won by Egremont by 32 – 31.

To complete a busy weekend for Egremont, four of the club’s strongest junior section players were in action for Newcastle Falcons in the National Academies Tournament in Leicester. The Under 16 tournament took place on Friday, with the Falcons alongside the academy teams from Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks, Yorkshire Carnegie, Worcester Warriors and Northampton Saints. Egremont’s representatives in the Falcons team were flanker Fraser McNee from St Bees and wing Johnny Crichton from Rottington. Both players saw plenty of the action as the Falcons lost by a single score to Worcester and were then more convincingly beaten by a very impressive Sale. However, Johnny and Fraser were both selected for the final game against Yorkshire Carnegie and it was Fraser who clinched the Falcons win by diving over for the final try of the match.

On the Saturday it was the turn of the Under 18 teams, this time including Newcastle Falcons, Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks and Yorkshire Carnegie. Egremont’s representatives at this level were Aidan Coulthard, who lives in Egremont, and also Richard Marr from St Bees. As with the U16’s, the Egremont pairing were heavily involved in each of the three games and formed a powerhouse second row partnership for the Falcons, who started off with an excellent win over the Yorkshire side. They then suffered a defeat at the hands of Sale before running Northampton very close in the final match of two tournaments which put all four of Egremont’s dynamic young players on a national stage in front of the England selectors.

For all interested club members, players and spectators, the Egremont action continues this week on Wednesday 3 September with the first junior training session of the new season at Bleach Green from 5.30 onwards when, of course, all new players are very welcome. On the same night the 2nd team are in league action at Aspatria, with a 7.30 kick-off. The 1st September for the first home league match of the season against Penrith 2 for a 3.00 p.m. kick-off, when the club will be hoping to welcome a good crowd to enjoy the outstanding facilities and on-field entertainment on offer at Bleach Green. The 1st team then appear on Saturday 6th September for the first home league match of the season against Penrith 2 for a 3.00 p.m. kick-off, when the club will be hoping to welcome a good crowd to enjoy the outstanding facilities and on-field entertainment on offer at Bleach Green.

To complete a very busy weekend for the club, on Sunday 7 September the new Under 17 side will begin an exciting new venture with the first match of the season at Northern RFC in the new North East and Cumbria league. The team has a talent-filled squad of 24 local lads, and the coaches and players are keen to make an impact on this very competitive circuit.

Further details of any of the above can be seen on the club website.