CTCRM Overcome Slow Start to Win Sevens Title : Royal Navy Rugby Union

CTCRM Overcome Slow Start to Win Sevens Title

The 2016 RNRU Sevens Champions – CTCRM

Skipper Richie Cadywould tracks back to ensure that the threatened HMNB Portsmouth comeback did not materialise as CTCRM won the final 26-14 against HMNB Portsmouth

CTCRM opened the scoring in the final but turned around at halftime trailing by 14-7

HMS Daring surprised a lot of the teams present and were deserved semi finalists after coming second in their league and despatching URNU 24-14 in the quarter final

The combined URNU side again added to the day but following an opening win against HMS Collinwood they lacked a little firepower although they did produce an excellent performance before losing out to HMS Daring, 24-14, in the quarter final.

The CTCRM defence swarm around HMS Seahawk as they defend their narrow 21-17 lead to knock out a side that, along with HMS Sultan, were the favourites for the trophy

CTCRM turned around their fortunes after losing to both HMS Heron and HMS Sultan in the pool stages to secure the 2016 Royal Navy Rugby Union unit sevens with three commanding performances in the knock out rounds where they first beat HMS Seahawk, winners of the other pool, in a close quarter final, before turning the tables on HMS Heron, who had won their encounter in the first match of the day; and finishing the day with a 26-14 victory over HMNB Portsmouth in the final.

The day of sevens, hosted at Yeovil RFC, began with two pools of five and it was to be HMS Collingwood and HMS Bulwark who were the first to be eliminated. In League 1 it was HMS Sultan who topped the group with HMS Heron a close second having been disrupted with an injury. CTCRM could only finish 3^rd in the group and the combined RN University Units squeezed in to the quarterfinals in fourth place.

In League 2 HMS Seahawk remained unbeaten to top the group and HMS Daring edged passed HMNB Portsmouth into second place on points difference, with HMNB Devonport being the fourth team to qualify for the quarterfinals.

HMS Daring proved to be too strong for the URNU side and HMS Heron scored a comprehensive win over HMNB Devonport. However in the other two quarterfinals both teams that topped their league lost out, with CTCRM winning 21-17 over HMS Seahawk and HMNB Portsmouth accounting for HMS Sultan 22-19 with a try from the last move of the match.

By the semi finals it seemed that the heat had taken its toll on HMS Daring as they never really challenged HMNB Portsmouth who won the match comfortably 31-7 to proceed to the final where they would face CTCRM, who had to work a little harder for their 28-14 victory over HMS Heron.

In the final CTCRM were first on the score sheet but HMNB Portsmouth responded with two well-worked tries to lead 14-7 at half time. However with three unanswered tries in the second half it was Richie Cadywould, CTCRM’s skipper who was presented with the trophy at the end of a long day of sevens.

CTCRM’s route to the trophy.
Pool stages: v HMS Heron, lost 38-7; v HMS Collingwood, won 38-10; v HMS Sultan, lost 21-12; v URNU, won 45-5
Knockout Rounds: v HMS Seahawk Quarter Final, won 21-17; v HMS Heron Semi Final, won 28-14; v HMNB Portsmouth Final, won 26-14

Images by Alligin Photography / © Geraint Ashton Jones