A huge congratulations to Churchill’s Rugby Team who were victorious in the Plate Final on Sunday against St Catharine’s. The final score was 31—12. This caps off a great season for the team, who have been promoted to Division 1 in the college leagues for one of the few times in the Club’s history.

Skipper Stephen Hughes reports on the match:

A day of invincible memory

After a season full of panache and resilience, the men in Pink and Brown journeyed to the pantheon that is Grange road to face Catz in the plate final. We brought fans and cans in equal measure for a game set to be full of physicality and Javi shouting ‘Numbers’ from the technical area.

Catz had a point to prove from our earlier encounter but to borrow a well known saying — ”we are the boys who will stop your little game”. Churchill brought physicality in abundance as the man mountains of Roch, Moore and Hannon decimated all those who stood in their way. Quick handling made the difference in a flat out first half as Thrush and Brennan squeezed over. After an interception and length of the field break, Catz got on the board. However, it should be acknowledged the incredible chase and cover tackle made by Hannon that can only be described as a Segway trying to outrun Jensen Button. In a windy first half, we just about had our noses in front.

Into the final 40 of this season, the boys put in a performance to be proud of. Meanwhile Yates and Farrow couldn’t believe their luck at the lineout as Catz employed the clever tactic of not contesting ours and concomitantly losing theirs. At the scrum, Churchill stayed solid against a strong opposing pack as Bergqvist showed us just what he’s hiding underneath that knee brace.

In a match which deserved a moment of individual brilliance, up stepped the ankle breaker himself — Veg. To this day there remain no ratified stats on just how many sidesteps that boy/far away man made as he glided well over 50m +VAT to score one of the clubs all-time great tries. A cold Leichthammer in every sense on the wing quietly murmured to me ‘I hate him’. Badr was immense at the breakdown.

From the bench they poured as ”Serrym” and Finlay arrived to close out the match. Serrym almost broke the Catz skippers shoulder as his phenomenal chop tackle provided the crowd with a moment that can only be described as a moose going airborne. Into the final minutes, it was the bionic man Farrows turn to get on the scoreboard. It was pandemonium in the stands and in the technical area as temporary managers Lidgely and detective inspector Cook pulled the strings. One last try from Hannon rounded off a sensational victory and all-around epic performance from the boys.

Delirious from watching such a spectacle, the Master joined in the celebrations pitchside. A triumph to cap off well over two years of hard work since the JST and Coumbe era to put Churchill on the map. A match which will live long in the memory for a tremendous group of boys.

CHURCHILL 31
CATZ 12

Stephen Hughes — Skip 18/19