Seven Bulls Girls are Kent U16s Champions!

Seven Bulls Girls U16s 22 Ashford Girls U16s 10

It has been a long hard season but what better way to end it with the ever committed Sevenoaks & Aylesford coalition being crowed Kent Champions!

Going into the season both Sevenoaks & Aylesford had squads of only around 11 or 12 girls each so had to cluster together to be able to enter a team for the Kent League. The potential was there from the start but things took a while to click with many of the girls having never met each other before nevermind played rugby together.

 After just a couple of joint training sessions they had their first ever game together in October - a friendly against Tunbridge Wells – but suffered a heavy loss, and were also defeated by Medway in the second league game a few weeks later.

 But there were signs of improvement over the weeks as the girls got to know each other better and of course the coaches began to work their magic!

 A turning point came in November when the girls came up against last year’s finalists Crimson Roses and defeated them 14-7 in an extremely physical encounter. It gave them the belief that they could compete together and carried on with victories against Sidcup and Black Darts before the Christmas break.

 After finishing 2nd out of 6 in the ‘Conference A’ league they started the new year with tough games against the top Kent sides of the ‘Conference B’ league – namely Ashford & Tunbridge Wells. With confidence high and the squad gelling the girls went on to win both games and beat Tunbridge Wells again in the semi-final fully avenging the defeat from earlier in the season! They also gained revenge against Medway beating them in a friendly ahead of the final.

 The final against Ashford was always going to be tough and no one was taking anything for granted. From the kick off Seven Bulls were on the back foot but defended valiantly giving Ashford little space to work with. Eventually pushing up the pitch Seven Bulls win a 5m penalty on the right hand side with Libby tapping the ball it gets sprayed across the pitch before finding Emily who turns on the pace and races over the line. 5-0 and first blood to Seven Bulls!

 Ashford came back as we knew they would and Seven Bulls had to dig deep again to defend, but the pressure was sustained and Ashford got their reward with a try to level things up at 5-5.

 Seven Bulls had to regroup and they did, gaining possession from the kick off they kept plugging away before a bit of individual brilliance from Ella increased the score. The ball is won back inside the Ashford half & passed to Ella who senses a kick & run opportunity…the bounce is good and Ella gathers cleanly to run the ball under the posts! She converts her own try and it is 12-5 to Seven Bulls.

 Ashford again go back on the attack but Seven Bulls give as good as they get and with the ball getting closer & closer to Ashford’s tryline it is passed from the middle to the far right side where Chanel gathers and runs it over the line! 17-5 at HT and Seven Bulls have one hand on the trophy….!

The second half started like the first with Ashford again mounting serious & sustained pressure before eventually scoring again in the far right corner to make it 17-10. There is no doubt Seven Bulls have a fight on their hands!

But where Seven Bulls might have subsided earlier in the season it was not going to happen in the Kent final….after a scrum deep in their own half a long kick from Ella sees Ashford suddenly having to defend close to their tryline. The ball is won back by Seven Bulls and with Imogen passing to Suskia who sprints over the line to make it 22-10!

Ashford kept fighting to the end but the Seven Bull’s door was shut, locked and barricaded with 15 girls not giving them an inch. The game was played out and before long the whistle is blown and Seven Bulls are Kent champions!

It is an incredible achievement from a group of girls whose progress from the start of the season has been a joy to watch. Big shout out to the coaches Phil, Neil (Aylesford), Cerys, Justine, Jason, Carl & Kev (Aylesford)who never stopped believing in them and one final well done to the girls from Sevenoaks - Imogen, Erin, Niamh, Georgia, Jaime, Maddie, Libby, Bronte, Heidi, Robyn & Scarlet and from Aylesford – Nat, Suskia, Emily, Ella, Neve, Grace, Alys, Chloe, Amber, Chanel, Sophia, Gabby & Sophie who all fully deserve the trophy!

Sevenoaks/Aylesford Girls U16s 10 Tunbridge Wells Girls U16s 0 – Into the Kent Final!

SevenAyles were paired against arch rivals Tunbridge Wells in the Kent Cup semi-final in what was always going to be a tough tight contest…and the SevenAyles girls fought with grit & determination to pull off a well-earned win & be rewarded with a place in the Kent Final!

In a bright first half SevenAyles made the first move with a short penalty passed to Bronte who made good ground followed by Nat getting closer to the line. The ball is sprayed across the left with passes from Maddie to Georgia to Imogen to Libby and to Erin but she is tackled inches from the line in what proved to be a common theme in this tightly fought contest.

With SevenAyles keeping up the pressure the deadlock is broken from around 20 yards with Libby finding Amber who makes good ground & feeds Georgia who bursts through a couple of tackles from 5 yards out to open the scoring! 5-0 to SevenAyles!

The pressure is kept on with Nat, Suskia, Alys & Maddie all getting within inches of scoring the second try only for some excellent committed defending from TW. With half time beckoning SevenAyles were desperate for another score to reward the pressure and with another 5 yard scrum Libby finds Imogen who passes to Suskia who again gets within inches of the line …but she pops the ball up to the well supporting Jaime who is in the right place at the right time and is able to power the ball over the line! 10-0 to SevenAyles who deservedly have some breathing space at HT.

The second half proved an even tighter affair with TW throwing everything they have but SevenAyles heroically defending for their lives making many try saving tackles to deny every scoring opportunity created. SevenAyles themselves came close to adding that killer third try but again were denied by more excellent defending from TW.

With the game in its dying moments TW break free and look certain to score under the posts but are denied by another last gasp tackle from Imogen & Jaime forcing the ball to get dropped just a couple of yards from the line. The ball is cleared from the scrum & the full time whistle is blown and SevenAyles are in the Kent Cup final!

In the post-match get together Suskia is awarded back of the match and Georgia forward of the match. The final is on 1st May and it will be against Ashford who narrowly beat Medway 15-12 in the other semi final. Best of luck to the girls let’s bring home the trophy

U18 girls v ABC 5th March 2023

The Sevenoaks u18 girls with their cluster partners Tunbridge Wells and Old Colfe’s played Alleynians Beckenham Combined (ABC) in a Kent league match on Sunday. Iona kicked off the match and ABC started a demonstration of the skill that would go on to win them the match: keeping the ball in hand and recycling rapidly from every breakdown, they patiently inched their way down the pitch through over 20 phases to score within 5 minutes of the start. The Blues woke up and started making a good contest of the midfield and after 15 minutes, Laura gathered the ball on the left hand side behind mid-way and galloped down the touch line to score, with Iona converting. Despite valiant efforts and some frantic tackling in midfield, ABC went on to score twice more before half time to make the score 7-17 at the break.

ABC scored three tries rapidly after half-time before Charlotte W carried the ball strongly down the left wing and in the quick recycling, Iona found a gap and accelerated through to score under the posts and then converted her own try. ABC scored two more converted tries before Amy and Charlotte W made great ground moving strongly through tackles for Mary to score in the corner. ABC finished the match with another try to make the final score 19-53.

Our line out was working beautifully through out and the scrum was strong but there are definitely some things to work on before the girls play Basildon next week.

Sevenoaks/Aylesford Girls U16s 34 v's Tunbridge Wells Girls U16s 5

SevenAyles continued their dominant form with a fine victory in what could have been seen as their biggest test yet as they met Tunbridge Wells who were last year’s Kent champions.

But with a close to full squad and confidence sky high the SevenAyles girls dazzled with their best performance of the season! Niamh opened the scoring after sustained pressure saw the girls getting closer & closer to the tryline before Nat passed to Niamh who took the ball over the line. 5-0 to SevenAyles!

The second try follows soon after a short penalty from 5 yards the ball finds Maddie who powers her way to inches from the line and as the tackle comes in she cleverly pops the ball up to Georgia who bundles it over the line. Niamh converts and it’s 12-0 SevenAyles!

Tunbridge Wells fight back with a try themselves in the right hand side to make it 12-5 but it was barely their only attack of the game. The 12 point lead is soon restored after Jaime wins a 5 yard penalty Libby taps & passes to Ella who takes the ball over the line. 17-5 at HT.

The second half was almost exclusive SevenAyles pressure and it did not take long for the lead to be extended after another 5 yard penalty the ball makes it way to Georgia who bundles it over the line again for her second try with a combined distance of 2 yards! 22-5 SevenAyles.

Not long later and Ella bags her second try cleverly swiveling out of a tackle from 20 yards out and weaving her way to score right of the posts. 27-5 SevenAyles!

The dominate performance was crowned off by Imogen with a superb solo effort collecting the ball from well outside the 22 she accelerates past several tackles and scores in front of the posts! The conversion follows and it is 34-5 SevenAyles.

The girls kept on going and Maddie went close again right at the end after a short line out but the ref eventually blows the whistle and SevenAyles complete a fine team performance with a deserved big win!

In the post-match get together Imogen is awarded back of the match and Georgia forward of the match. Next up is Basildon who have been thumping everyone but whatever happens the girls are peaking just at the right time so bring it on…!

Sevenoaks/Aylesford Girls U16s 24 Ashford Girls U16s 7

SevenAyles kicked off 2023 where they left 2022 with another fine but hard-fought victory to make it 5 wins from 6 in the league this season. After finishing 2nd out of 6 in the ‘Conference A’ league they now faced a trio of tough games against the top 3 sides of the ‘Conference B’ league – namely Basildon, Ashford & Tunbridge Wells.

First up was Ashford who wasted no time getting on the attack from the kick off, but the SevenAyles girls defended valiantly with some great tackles from Libby and holding up the ball on the tryline, Ashford could not make their pressure pay.

Eventually an excellent clearance from Niamh allowed SevenAyles to finally get on the attack…and after putting the opposition under pressure an error leads the ball being picked up by Chanel about 20 yards out and she jinks her way through for the opening try! Niamh converts and it’s 7-0 to SevenAyles.

But Ashford come back strong and after more good defending there is a momentarily lack of concentration that allows Ashford to break through and score under the posts. The conversation follows and it is 7-7 at half time.

With a large matchday squad SevenAyles had the luxury of making several HT changes and it did not take long for the fresh legs to find their mark….Imogen & Emily combine well on the left hand side for Emily to sprint over the line for a try just minutes after the restart! 12-7 to SevenAyles.

More pressure follows and from around 10 yards out Niamh finds Nat who passes to Maddie who powers through the attempted tackles to get the ball over the line for her first try of the season! Niamh converts and it is 19-7 to SevenAyles.

The final try comes from Saskia after she makes a break down the left hand side to outsprint the tiring legs of the Ashford defense. Final score 24-7 to SevenAyles.

So after a dominant second half SevenAyles win but were made to work by a strong Ashford side who fought to the end. In the post-match get together Libby is awarded back of the match and Nat forward of the match. Two more tough games to follow so let’s hope SevenAyles can continue to build on what is an improving season…!

U16 Girls -League Match - Sidcup/OEs 17 v Sevenoaks/Aylesford 41

SevenAyles made it two in two with what looked like a straightforward victory on paper but they were certainly made to work for it after a strong first half performance from Sidcup who led at half time.

With Sidcup low on numbers the game was reduced to 12 a side, and with injuries kicking in later Robyn joined up with them for the final 10 minutes.

With confidence sky high after last week’s victory against Crimson Roses, the SevenAyles girls went into the game probably expecting business as usual…..but were given a wake up call by Sidcup who started strongly which no doubt took a lot of the SevenAyles girls by surprise.

After putting us under pressure in the early stages, possession is lost and Sidcup work the ball to the right corner to open the scoring. 5-0 to Sidcup. More pressure follows where Sidcup break from the centre to the right wing and after beating our defence cut inside to score under the posts. The conversion follows and it’s 12-0 to Sidcup & our girls know they have a game on their hands!

With the first half in the latter stages SevenAyles begin the fightback…after winning the line out on the far side the ball comes across to the left before it is passed to Niamh who powerfully dances her way through a crowd of defenders to score under the posts! Niamh follows up with the conversion and SevenAyles go into HT having cut the lead to 12-7.

Thankfully the second half sees a much stronger performance by SevenAyles who run in 6 tries. First up it is Imogen, on as a second half sub, who collects the ball just outside the 22 on the left hand side and weaves her way around several tackles to score just outside the posts. Niamh converts and SevenAyles have the lead 12-14.

Try no3 sees Nat win back possession in our own half the ball is worked across to the far side for Imogen to dart down the left wing…..with Saskia in support Imogen plays a cool ‘one-two’ and continues her run to score in the corner. 12-19 to SevenAyles!

For the next try a Sidcup clearance is gathered by Chanel who makes a good run down the right before the ball is switched across to the left for Saskia to score in the corner. 12-24 SevenAyles with the girls looking far more comfortable.

The next try starts with another quick break from Chanel from the centre & cutting down the left before the ball is switched across to the impressive Chloe who spots a gap & makes a beeline for the right corner – her first try for SevenAyles! 12-29.

Try no6 starts from a SevenAyles scrum on the 22…after a strong break from Alys to get within a couple of yards and several other attempts to get the ball over the line it is Niamh who piles through the bodies to score just outside the posts. The conversion follows and it is 12-36 SevenAyles.

The final SevenAyles try comes from more sustained pressure with Nat passing to Imogen who gets tackled just before the tryline but Nat follows in to pick up the loose ball and bundle it over the line! 12-41 SevenAyles.

But credit to Sidcup they never stopped fighting and were able to get a consolation try at the end to leave the final score 17-41 to SevenAyles.

So in the end Sevenoaks ran away comfortable winners but were certainly given a scare by Sidcup who fought well to the end. In the post-match get together Chanel is awarded back of the match and Chloe forward of the match. One more league game to go this half of the season and the SevenAyles girls will be hoping for more of that second half performance!

U16 Girls -League Match - Crimson Roses 7 v Sevenoaks/Aylesford 14

After last week’s disappointment the SevenAyles girls were back in action a week later with a deserved victory in a strong physical battle against the Crimson Roses who were runners up in last year’s competition.

With the opposition one girl light at the start Jaime kindly moved across for the first half for an even 15 vs 15 match, although as the injuries kept on coming in this bruising encounter, Chanel, Grace (Aylesford) and Millie all spent time supporting the opposition. Thank you girls for being a good sport!

With an even start about midway through the 1st half SevenAyles win a line out in a promising position. The ball makes it way to Imogen who skillfully evades a couple of tackles before sprinting to the touch line with no one able to keep up! She sensibly moves across to touchdown under the posts & Niamh converts. 7-0 SevenAyles!

The first half continued with more SevenAyles pressure desperate to find that second try. They got within a few yards on two separate occasions but both times the Crimson Roses defended strongly and were able to keep the SevenAyles girls at bay when the score looked likely. 7-0 at HT.

The second half starts with more SevenAyles pressure…with Nat and then Alys bursting through tackles to win a penalty from 5m out. The same two girls combine again with Nat tapping to herself to get within inches of the try line and in the pile of bodies Alys emerges with the ball and takes it over the line. Niamh converts again and it’s 14-0 SevenAyles!

But Crimson Roses, depleted with injuries, never gave up and came back at SevenAyles. With the ball deep in the SevenAyles half it is kicked down field but caught well by the opposition on the 22 and they worked the ball well to get the try just outside the posts. The conversion follows and it is 14-7 to SevenAyles.

With SevenAyles on the search for another try to kill the game, Erin puts in a crunching tackle which leaves the opposition girl flattened. With another player in need of attention & unable to continue for the Crimson Roses, the ref blows the whistle for full time and SevenAyles have their win!

It was an excellent victory for the SevenAyles girls who came back well after last week’s loss, and more importantly showed toughness & resilience to battle it out with one of the most physical teams in the league. Good work girls and let’s bring on next week!

U16 Girls -League Match - Sevenoaks/Aylesford 10 v Medway 19

After a several week break from the last league match, the SevenAyles girls returned for a hard fought battle against a tough Medway side that saw them narrowly defeated at the end.

Although you could say Medway were ‘a stronger side’ on paper having finished higher than both Sevenoaks & Aylesford in the league last season, SevenAyles showed great defence in the first half before breaking the deadlock midway through.

After good pressure a scrum is won by SevenAyles close to the try line…Libby passes back to Ellie who from 20m out makes a strong run gaining vital yards. Libby gathers the ball again gives it to Imogen who passes to Jaime who shows her strength to score in the corner! 5-0 SevenAyles.

Medway kept up the pressure from the restart and after good resistance from the SevenAyles defence they got back into the game with a well worked try in the right-hand corner. 5-5.

With the half growing to a close SevenAyles showed great team spirit going back on the attack and winning a 5m penalty. The quick-thinking Ellie takes a tap & run and whilst she can’t get it over the line, she passes to the well supporting Libby who does! 10-5 to SevenAyles at HT.

However the second half does not go to plan as the Medway girls showed why they finished 3rd in the Kent league last season...first with a try in the centre shortly after the restart and after winning a line out deep in the SevenAyles half. The conversion follows and it’s 10-12.

The SevenAyles girls did their best to fight back & searched for the next try to retake the lead….but in the dying minutes and after sustained pressure close to the Medway try line a SevenAyles pass is intercepted and from the break Medway move the ball way up field eventually winning a 5m penalty. The penalty is tapped & forced over the line with the conversion followed and the whistle is blown. 10-19 to Medway.

In truth whilst you can argue the ‘better team’ may have won, the SevenAyles girls showed they could compete with the stronger teams and on another day it could have been different.

In the post-match get together Libby is awarded back of the match and Natalie forward of the match. The games now come thick & fast with a chance for the SevenAyles girls to take what they have learnt into another tough looking match next weekend. Good luck!

U16 Girls -League Match - Sevenoaks/Aylesford 55 v East Kent Viragos 5

On a sublimely sunny autumnal afternoon the Sevenoaks/Aylesford girls coalition (known as SevenAyles) got off to an emphatic start in the Girls U16s Kent League. It may have been their first ever league match together but the class showed as SevenAyles outplayed East Kent Viragos from start to finish running in 9 tries from 6 different try scorers.

After a tentative start from both teams, the deadlock was broken after a good break from Jamie and then Erin on the right-hand side who in turn found Chanel who took the ball over the line from close range. 5-0 SevenAyles.

The next try came from a SevenAyles scrum near the halfway line, the ball made it to Chanel who turned on the pace darting inside to evade the tackles and score in front of the posts. Niamh converts 12-0 SevenAyles.

East Kent showed some resilience scoring themselves after some good pressure and passing the ball across the left-hand side for the touchdown, but it was only a consolation as SevenAyles wasted no time getting back on top. Possession was won back straight from the kick off and with the ball passed from the centre to Robyn on the wing who scored in the corner. 17-5.

The final try of the half was the try of the game…after winning the scrum against the head on the centre of the halfway line Libby finds Imogen who passes it right to Erin who passes it back to Imogen on the overlap….Imogen darts inside & out of several tackles before laying it back to Erin who sprints away to score. Great teamwork from the two! 22-5 at half time.

The second half saw SevenAyles run away with it scoring 5 unanswered tries. With East Kent on the attack possession is won back and the ball finds Emily who jinks inside one tackle and sprints away half the length of the pitch to score under the posts. Niamh, thankful for much easier conversion attempt, gets the two points. 29-5.

The next try is a carbon copy of the previous one with SevenAyles again winning back possession with East Kent on the attack, the ball finding Emily who again sprints away to score in front of the posts. 34-5.

SevenAyles notch up try 6 after a driving run from Maddie down the left-hand side the ball is sprayed across to the right before Alys takes it over the line. Niamh coverts 41-5.

Another team effort leads to try 7 with the ball again passed across the line from left to right before Chanel makes it over the line for her hattrick! Niamh converts again 48-5.

The final try comes after SevenAyles win a penalty on the 22 it is passed to Maddie who powers her way through to seemingly ground the ball over the line…but the ref has other ideas and awards East Kent a touchline drop out. Justice is done though as the drop out is miskicked and SevenAyles are awarded a penalty from 5 yards…it is passed to Georgia and she forces herself over the line. Niamh converts and the game ends 55-5 to SevenAyles!

In the post match get together Niamh is awarded back of the match and Maddie forward of the match but nothing takes away from the fact it was a fantastic team performance from the Sevenoaks & Aylesford girls….tougher tests will follow but the performance has laid the perfect ground for the challenges that lie ahead. Bring it on!

U18 Girls First League Match

The South-East Blues began their league campaign in glorious autumn sunshine at Folkestone rugby club. Playing in the Tunbridge Wells strip, the Sevenoaks/Old Colfe’s/Tunbridge Wells cluster made the long journey to play against the Aylesford/Folkestone cluster.

The coaches agreed to play four quarters, and the Blues started strongly, with Belle scoring after 4 minutes and Iona after 5 (and converting her own try). Izzy caught the third restart kick and passed it inside to Lucy who galloped through the middle of the pitch, evading their backs to score on the left. Belle ended a strong quarter by scoring from a strong run down the right wing.

In the second quarter, their scrum half went off injured and Jocelyn kindly volunteered to play for the opposition, and playing very honestly, set them up for a fine try under the posts, making the score 7-22. The third quarter was much more tense with hard defensive work by both sides. We turned over an attacking scrum but we didn’t manage to capitalise; their scrum half took a quick penalty from 10m out and ran through to score their second, to end the quarter 12-22.

Laura caught the restart kick at the beginning of the fourth quarter and Izzy stormed down the right- hand side but didn’t manage to go all the way. The ball came back to us deep in our half, and Iona ran 2/3rds of the pitch to score under the posts, converting her try again. The game ended with a final try by Belle running strongly into the left corner, making the final score 12-34.

U18 girls First Festival of the Season

Having had two league matches cancelled, the South-East Blues (comprising u18 girls from Sevenoaks, Old Colfe’s and Tunbridge Wells) were very keen to get on the pitch to start the competitive season. So a last minute invitation from Guildfordians to play in their 10s festival was very welcome, as was the glorious afternoon sunshine.

The first thing the coaches – and the girls - noticed was that all the pitches for the tournament had a quite a significant slope which made different halves more important.

The festival started against Havant, who were looking very strong warming up. Iona got the match underway with a great kick, with Heather winning the ball at the breakdown, passing inside to Izzy for the first score. Iona scored the second by catching their return kick and running straight through to score under the posts. The third try came from smooth passing down a great attacking line with Joan going in on the wing. Izzy jackalled successfully to pass to Laura for Iona to score the fourth which took us to half time. In the second half, Laura, Annie and Bella scored again for the Blues to win the match seven tries to nil (there were no conversions at this tournament).

The second match was against Heathfield with four of our girls kindly volunteering to play for Havant who were down on numbers after injuries. The Blues did a lot of running downhill in the first half building momentum with quick work at the breakdown by Jocelyn.  Iona, Laura (twice) and Heather all scored to make the lead four tries to nil at half time. Heathfield picked up in the second half (their turn to run downhill) and scored two in quick succession, before Bella ran uphill to make the final score five tries to two

The third game against Guildfordians was a step up in intensity. The hosts ran through to touch down from the kick off running uphill, but the Blues girls buckled down and evened the score just before half time, with Lucy going in on the corner (narrowly avoiding an oblivious passer-by who had wandered onto the pitch!). The second half was started by Iona gathering the kick, kicking back and successfully picking up her own kick which went out to Joan to score in the corner. Guildfordians retaliated by scoring from the kick off themselves, running straight down the hill into the corner. Their fast winger completed the win for them by scoring in the last seconds to leave the final score three tries to two.

As second in the group, the semi-final was played against the winners of pool B, a Barbarian’s side formed mostly of Trojans from Hampshire. It was a step up again and very even with much hard work all over the pitch, particularly the defence on our try line. The first half ended scoreless. The girls were unlucky in the second half with a strong attacking position three metres out from the opposition line turned over, and then two late tries from the Barbars in quick succession (down the hill again).

Iona was very deservedly awarded Player of the Match for a superb performance with Joan receiving an honourable mention for strong running and try-saving tackles in defence.

The girls had a great day out (thank you to Paul, Richard and all the parents for making the journey) and gelled really well as a three-way team. It augurs well for our league matches which (hopefully) start next week.

U14 Girls v Ashford RFC

A great start to the season for the U14 girls. Fortunately the weather held, following a fairly long drive down to Ashford to blow the cobwebs away and try and get to grips with the new laws.

Ashford RFC had laid on the first team pitch and the girls kicked off in glorious sunshine. Twenty seconds after kick off and Sevenoaks opened the scoring with a long run down the right wing by Jess who touched down. Less than a minute later, Zoe at scrum half took the ball from the back of a scrum ten yards out and darted down the blindside to score a well worked try. This was shortly followed by Darcey scoring on her debut from open play and the floodgates well and truly opened. Alice at scrum half kept the back line well provided with the ball, resulting in a second try for Zoe, four for Martha, another two for Darcey and one for Daisy from a long way out. Strong defence from Emma, Chloe and Ella in the forwards prevented Ashford from gaining any ground and kept them at zero for the first half.

The second half started with an early try from Darcey followed closely by Emelia at fly half side-stepping her way through the Ashford defence to score her first for the season. Ashford started to respond with some good running but strong tackling on the wings from Pippa and Sophie sent them backwards to regroup. A short period of Ashford pressure put Sevenoaks on the back foot for several minutes with every member of the team putting in some fantastic tackling and ensured the doors were kept firmly closed. The defensive pressure paid off and the turnover came at the hands of the forwards, the ball distributed well by Alice out to the blind side and a good break down the wing from Sophie who passed the halfway line before being bundled into touch gave Sevenoaks some much needed respite. Another try from Martha and a further two from Darcey stretched the lead further before Martha popped the ball up to Eloise on the wing who streaked down the left hand side to score in the corner. With a few minutes left in the game, Darcey ran in another and shortly afterwards, Sophie stepped in off her wing, found a big gap in the midfield and took off for a great try in the corner. The last kick off of the game was ably chased down by Emelia, who held the Ashford player up and with assistance from Emma and Chloe forced another turnover, Alice passing the ball out to Darcey in the centre who darted over for her eighth try of the game and the ref ended the game.

A great start to the season with every player putting in a full shift to end the game 20 tries to nil.

U18 Girls Kent Cup FInal

There was an air of excitement at Medway RFC on Sunday 2nd May before the final of the U18 Girls Kent Cup. The team warmed up with Vicky, Paul, Tom and Gary while keeping an eye on the U15 Cup final (Tunbridge Wells edged it in a very close match against an Old Colfe’s/Dartford Valley team).

The match finally kicked off and Sevenoaks/Old Colfe’s/Dartfordians (the Crimsons) were immediately under pressure from the very strong, well-drilled and experienced Medway side. The first five minutes were spent in our own half and although our scrum was solid, the lineout wasn’t quite functioning, and Medway were able to punch through the Crimsons’ defence to score their first try in the left-hand corner. The difficult touch-line conversion was missed.

Medway again won the ball from our lineout and the female referee indicated that she was going to be very strict about high tackles as she reached for her pocket to issue the first of what would be three yellow cards in the match. From the penalty, Medway kicked to the right corner, won their lineout and scored under the posts. The successful conversion made the score 12-0.

Most of the rest of the half was spent in frantic defence pinned back in our own half with hard work for the forwards as scrum followed scrum. Although our scrummaging was solid, eventually Medway were able to drop on a loose ball over the line for their third score, which was duly converted to make the score 19-0. In the last minutes of the first half, the Crimsons attacked and made good ground deep into Medway’s 22, but were just unable to finish off the pressure with a score.

In the second half, the strength and handling skills of the Medway backs really showed. There were three scores in quick succession which were built by accurate passing across the pitch at speed and scores in the corner, despite heroic efforts in defence from our team. A final try towards the end made the final score 39-0.

A tough day at the office for the girls, but they displayed determination and resilience in the face of a very strong Medway side, who emerged as well-deserved Kent champions. There were tears on the pitch in the final huddle with many thank yous and best wishes for the OC girls for whom this was their last match.

U18s Sevenoaks&Colfes 39 v Medway 27 - 27th March 2022

From the start, the Sevenoaks/Old Colfe’s girls looked strong as they practiced their drills before the game. Within the first few minutes from the kick-off, Nat and Lara combined well and when Lara was tackled just before the try line, she was able to play the ball back to Nat in the tackle, who went over for the first try. No conversion.

Play was quite even in the middle of the field for some minutes, before Lara stripped the ball from a Medway player, and spotting space in the backfield, kicked in behind, which Ivana ran onto and scored the second. No conversion 10-0.

From the restart Medway powered up the left side but were stopped when Alice bundled the storming winger into touch. With a solid lineout, Sevenoaks were off up the pitch, and a kick chase from Anabel almost resulted in a try for Joan. A penalty for Sevenoaks near the try line and a clever switch move saw Izzy run in under the posts. Conversion by Lara, 17-0.

Then it was Medway’s turn to show some pressure and despite some strong defending from Sevenoaks, they scored in the left corner. No conversion 17-5.

Following some even play in the middle of the field, Sevenoaks had a penalty in front of the posts: Lara tapped and passed to Nat who powered through to score the fourth try under the posts. Conversion Lara 24-5.

From the restart and some resolute defence by both teams, Charlotte B made a fantastic run down the left and managed a lovely offload back inside: Sevenoaks patiently applied pressure near the try line which resulted in another try for Izzy. No conversion 29-5.

In the last play before half time, Lucy and Nat powered through the middle in tandem, and following a Medway scrum and kick, Sevenoaks regathered the ball which Lara kicked cross field, Charlotte W gathered and cleverly offloaded in the tackle for Lara to score. No conversion 34-5.

The second half saw the balance of the game change as some of the Sevenoaks players came off, with Medway immediately pressuring the line. Despite some immense defence from everyone, with Lucy in the forefront, Medway scored to make the score 34-10.

Two injuries to Medway who were without subs, took the players on the pitch down to 12 each and Medway were able to apply more pressure and score a third to make the score 34-15. A few minutes later saw another try to Medway in the left corner, no conversion 34-20.

From the restart, some good strong running from Sevenoaks, led to a lineout near the try line. We were knocked back and went again: Lara kicked and almost chased successfully but Medway secured a goal line drop out, which they successfully gathered and ran down the left wing to score under the posts. The conversion made the score 34-27.

Following another injury, and a penalty to Sevenoaks, Lara was able to tap and pass to Izzy who went forward and offloaded to Joan who scored the last try of the match, in the last action of the match. No conversion made the final score 39-27. The quality of offloads in the tackle was a particular strength today and helped send the Sevenoaks girls into the Cup final to be played at Medway on 2nd May.

U15 Girls Sevenoaks/TJs 34 v Dartford/Blackheath 5 March 13th 2022

Sevenoaks/TJs got off to a triumphant start in the Girls U15s Kent Cup as they breezed past Dartford/Blackheath with a professional & accomplished display.

With 6 tries, 3 in each half, and 2 conversions they ran away worthy winners against a spirited Dartford/Blackheath side that persisted to the end to grab a consolation try themselves.

The impressive Niamh kicked things off in the opening minutes collecting the ball from the scrum and jinking her way through a crowd of players to score under posts. Imogen converted for a 7-0 lead. Niamh then scored again from close range after a clever lobbed back pass from Erin to go 12-0 up. The final try of the half came from Imogen with a trademark sprint down the wing leaving everyone in her wake before cutting inside on the try line to score under the posts. 17-0 at HT.

Into the second half and another scrum inside the 22 saw the ball passed to Erin who darted her way through to score under the posts. Niamh converted and it was 24-0. The Oaks’s 5th try was a great team effort ending with Georgia sprinting into the corner before the ball made its way to Eleanor to bundle over the try line. A classic forward’s try! The final try came from relentless Oaks pressure on the 5 yard line seeing us regain possession from the scrum and the ball making its way to Robyn who forced it over the line. Final score 34-5.

Outside of the tries there was some great defense & tackling all round, and impressive line outs with Maddie & Eleanor lifting Jamie to catch & distribute like a pro!

A big thanks to the 4 TJs girls who all gave a great account of themselves and especially Robyn for her debut try. The next Kent Cup game is in 2 weeks and with confidence high the girls will be a tough match for anyone!

U15 Girls 6 February 2022 Ashford/Gravesend 12 – Sevenoaks 39 At Gravesend RFC

1/3 On a blustery but dry day Georgia started the game off on the front foot making a decent 20 yard carry before Niamh repeated the trick down the right channel - running it home with a burst to the line.  Niamh who was back to business after an injury lay-off also took the conversion but the odds were well against from a tight angle against the breeze and it fell short.  Libby then soon extended the score touching down on the left this time from close in after Erin who was determined to score nearly got to the line from 15 yards out following a good passing move across the pitch.  After the restart there was a nice phase of play when a strong tackle from Georgia forced a turnover and there followed a couple of great pickups in the midfield from Imogen and Erin whilst keeping forward momentum.  Maddie then pulled a rabbit out of the hat by putting up a defence splitting kick which Imogen managed to collect and then step around a couple of defenders in one motion before offloading to Valentina on the inside right channel and Niamh this time managed to slot home the conversion. The home side, not to be outdone, finished the half strongly and their big player in the backs scored under the posts with a good turn of pace from 30 yards out and the try was converted to make it 17-7 to close out an entertaining first third. 

2/3 Just after the restart the home team threw a couple of loose passes deep in their own territory and a marauding Libby pounced on the loose ball.  Although there was nothing on the scoreboard yet Oaks were camped in the opposition half and then Anne-Marie made a burst of tackles in quick succession on the left wing as the home side tried to force a break down the blindside but they were struggling to get out of their own 22.  Libby then ran through on the right but was stopped just short of the line and you wondered whether Sevenoaks would ever get the fourth try that their territory deserved.  Shortly after it went nicely through the hands and Niamh passed to Jaime on the left channel to increase Oaks’ lead. Maddie then put up another kick (!) which Libby got on the end of before passing on to Jaime to score again on the left. Libby who was all over the pitch and who obviously had eaten an extra shredded wheat (!) for breakfast then made a good smash and then ripped the ball herself in the tackle.

Prior to the final segment Phil then rallied the troops with instructions to drive over in the rucks in defence and to draw opponents in when attacking before passing out to the wing as too often the ball was taken into the tackle with players free on the flanks. 

3/3 In the final third the home team scored again to make it interesting. Libby, who was now at full back, collected a deep kick and made a fantastic mazy run evading and side stepping away from the home defence right up to the opponents 22 and this set the tone and territory to provide a good fluid passing move where the ball was nicely and quickly moved out to Valentina to score her second try of the day on the right - Phil was happy! Finally Jaime was fed from a combination of Libby and Imogen on the left who after a long game and against the wind just managed to hold off the despairing home defence for her hattrick with great determination and a long 40 yard run to the line – well done!

This was a great team performance and the opposition whilst being a decent and dangerous outfit were held expertly at bay. It was good to see Niamh returning and straight back to where she left off with a try and 2 conversions and Jaime for her 3 tries - unsure if she got the match ball! Big shout out too for Libby who gave a masterclass in defence and attack and seemed to be all over the pitch – well done! Every one of the girls played their part on a draining pitch and often into a bitterly cold, swirling breeze and yet some of the skills on show were outstanding! The girls enjoyed a well earned hot dog after the game in the warmth of the clubhouse.

23 January 2022 U18s Sevenoaks & Crimsons v Old Alleynians

On Sunday, the Crimsons and Sevenoaks were away to Old Alleynians.

With the absence of Lara, the team were moved around a little and Alice East started at 10.

The Crimsons started strongly, and after 5 minutes had a huge scrum in OAs half. The defensive pressure from the backs then led to a turnover from Bolu, and Joan ran it in to score. Izzy added the extras. 7-0

From the kick off, The Crimsons slowly edged their way back into OAs half, where they stayed for some time. The ball was back and forth between the teams with the referee letting the game flow through playing advantage where possible.

It was the hosts who then built the phases to get within 10m of the try line. A huge defensive effort from The Crimsons led to a turnover by Natalie and the ball being moved to Bolu who made a lightning run and offloaded to Izzy who charged into the opposition 22. After drawing in the players with a couple of picks, Iona then sniped from the back of the breakdown and dived over to score the next points for the visitors. Con missed. 12-0

OAs didn’t take the 2 quick scores from the Crimsons lightly, and came back fighting. Although Ivanna made a fantastic try saving tackle, OAs were too quick in support and managed to score off the next phase. No con. 12-5

Another turnover for Bolu then led to break up the middle of the field by Hannah, followed by Izzy again on the charge and a third score for the Crimsons. Con missed. 17-5

Crimsons lost a line out in their 22, and OAs were quickest to react, pouncing on the ball, and running it in to score. Con missed. 17-10

OAs started to take the upper hand toward the end of the first half. A scrum on the halfway line saw their number 8 pick and go, with some missed tackles from the Crimsons, and a big run in, OAs had scored again. Con was good to make it even Stevens. 17-17 

The final play of the half was in the Crimsons favour and with a scrum in OAs 22, Natalie picked from the base of the scrum to score. Con from Alice was good. Crimsons lead 24-17 at half time.

The second half started with Oas building the phases yet again. A poor pass, saw Iona on the ball and it was moved through the hands to Bolu on the wing who strode out into the opposition half.

After some to-ing and fro-ing of possession, OAs managed some sustained pressure in the Crimsons half and eventually went on to score in the corner and back within 2 points. 24-22

Big mention to Raphael on her debut who started her rugby career with a bang and 2 great tackles.

A scrum around half way, led to another pick up from the base although N Natalie was stopped just short of the try line before OAs infringed at the ruck. Crimsons then scored from the penalty with Izzy diving over from short range. No con. 29-22

With the lead, Crimsons started to play some champagne rugby and offloading like a barbarian side. Marianna, Iona, Joan and Izzy all keeping the ball alive, for Amy to slice through a gap with a show and go and Charlotte scored in the corner. Con was close, hitting the bar but did not go over. 34-22

Great Crimsons defence, saw Izzy go in under the posts after a 40m breakaway try. 39-22

Another great run from Hannah, led to further offloads. This time for Izzy to make a break and get stopped just short of the line, with Natalie scoring under the posts which was converted by Izzy to end the game. 46-22.

9 January 2022 U15 Girls Sevenoaks 55 East Kent Viragos 5

With the sun beaming down onto a boggy pitch Sevenoaks faced East Kent Viragos made up of girls from the Deal, Dover, Thanet and Folkestone clubs and Erin immediately showed good intent as she dived onto a loose ball as the away side reacted slowly to the kick off.  Erin herself ran the first try home shortly after following a Jaime pass on the left touchline and Imogen missed a difficult conversion.  Viragos then kicked off with a defiant group roar (!) and this inspired them to have a couple of decent attacks of their own before Anne-Marie put in her first tackle of the day creating a turnover. From this Jamie ran it home from midway strongly evading some challenges after a pass from Imogen who herself then converted. The away side then pulled one back when their number 10 tapped and ran a penalty from 10 yards out and got to the line unchallenged though the conversion was missed. In a game with some good hits Heidi then put in a crunching tackle in the opposition half which got the crowd on their feet before Nia (TWs) scored from close in and Imogen converted.

In the second 20 minute period Valentina made a good break down the right after a good run and Anne-Marie made a couple of breaks down the left and shortly after Nia (TW) ran it home but the conversion was missed. Oaks were  now camped in Viragos’ half and from close in Jaime touched down as Oaks stamped their authority down with the conversion missed and Nia then added her second score of the day.

In the final 20 minute segment Anne-Marie made a couple of textbook tackles in quick succession thwarting two blindside attacks on the Oaks left from two of the Viragos’ backs. Soon after Lara ran home very well down the same channel and Imogen slotted home a tricky conversion that went in off the right upright.  Erin then put up a good 20 yard kick and managed to run on and collect it before Imogen ran home well again on the left  feinting inside with a good step and also converting! Maddie, not to be outdone, then got into the action showing good strength and aggression to bulldoze through before Lara added another from deep.

This was a great performance with thanks to the three TW girls drafted in and well done on their total of 5 combined tries! Shout out too to Imogen for slotting home 6 conversions from 10!  As well as the tries there was some great defence and a series of decent breaks which kept the crowd all on our toes. The girls were strong in the tackle today and more aggressive in rucks but still need to learn how to pass the ball either before or just at the point of tackle as too often they ran into blind alleys despite some good support.  After the game it was good to see them all head to the clubhouse for some food with the opposition!

Sevenoaks & Colfes U18s vs Beckenham 9th January 2022

Today, the Crimsons and Sevenoaks took on Beckenham at home. Beckenham started strongly and caught The Crimsons napping and for the first 5 minutes, The Crimsons were defending on their try line. 

After a large number of phases, there was a turnover which found its way out to Hannah. A great run down the wing got the Crimsons into the opposition 22 but the support was lacking. A few phases later, and Hannah was over in the corner. 5-0, no con. 

The second score came from a lovely pass from Olivia to Lara who sailed past 2 defenders to score. 10-0, No con.

Right from the kick off Amy made a strong run up the middle of the pitch, but again there was no support and Beckenham got the turnover. 

Beckenham came close to scoring, but lost the ball a few metres out, and Crimsons once again had the ball. 

Pretty much the story of the first 15 minutes, and just 3 phases later, the ball was ripped from The Crimsons in contact. 

Some great defence from Marianna, making 3 tackles on the bounce followed by diving on the ball to turn it over, won the ball back for the home team. However, a phase later, another penalty was given away by the Crimsons. Beckenham kicked to touch and had a lineout 15m out. 

A huge defensive shift again 10m out with some big tackles coming in from Ellie and Joan. A crunching tackle from Natalie who got off the line hard and shut down the opposition. It looked like it was going to go The Crimsons way, however they were then give another penalty for not rolling away. 

After the kick to touch, Beckenham found themselves just 10m out. Their line out was functioning well and they built the phases to come within 5m of the tryline. A knock on from the visitors gave The crimsons the ball back, and they made the most of their strong scrum. 

A minute later, Izzy made a storming run and offloaded to Joan who made it into the opposition half. 

With 20 minutes gone, the ball had been back and forth with equal amount of possession to both teams.

22 mins in and The Crimsons showed their strength again at the scrum and got one against the head. All the hard work was however undone losing the ball yet again at the breakdown. 

Beckenham soon made their way up the pitch with some big ball carries. Again, the Crimsons found themselves camped on their tryline but a double tackle from Lara and Alice put the ball into touch. 

Great defence to keep them out in the last play of the half 

10-0 half time. 

The second half started well, with a turnover from Lara who was strong in the ruck, followed up by a fantastic run from Lonnie. The ball was then lost, and Beckenham pounced seeing an unorganised defence and they scored their first. The conversion was good to bring them within 3 of the hosts. 10-7 

The Crimsons chased hard at the kick off and had soon regained possession. Another good bit of interplay between Izzy and Joan saw Joan sailing over for the Crimsons 3rd. 

The conversion was just short. 15-7 

Izzy backed up her form with another big carry. The ball was moved to Lara who kicked into the 22. A good chase from the Crimsons saw the next bit of play in Beckenhams half. 

Beckenham had the scrum, but The Crimsons managed another turnover and moved the ball through the backs and out to the wing. 

Great hands then back the other way from Olivia but there was a knock on 20m out. 

Beckenham fought hard to keep possession off the scrum, but pressure from Faye caused the ball to be knocked on. Jocelyn moved the ball from the breakdown to a charging Izzy, who gave an out the back offload to Lucy who handed off two of the opposition to dive over the line to score. Conversion from Lara was good. 

22-7 

The Crimsons who seemed to have built in confidence from the first half started to move the ball a bit more and find some space to run into. Natalie burst through the middle and offloaded to Izzy, the ball was given then to Olivia and she floated it across to Lara who was stopped 5m out. 

Beckenham managed to kick the ball away but with a slow chase, The Crimsons struck again by building the phases and Lara finished by skipping through a couple of defenders to score another. Conversion good. 

29-7 

Beckenham returned the ball to the crimsons, and this time with a great kick chase, managed to win the ball back and keep hold for some great play through their forwards. A big carry from 10m out with their player brushing off a couple of crimsons defenders led to the second score for the visitors. Conversion good. 29- 14

With 5 minutes to go, The Crimsons showed great work rate for each other chasing down one of Beckenham’s fliers. With numbers to the breakdown first, The crimsons got the ball back and a lovely pass from Lara saw Hannah in space sprinting down the wing. 

Some really good play from the hosts ended with a turnover in the opposition 22, and one of their players down getting treatment. 

Into the last minute of the game, and some dancing feet from 10m out and it’s Hatrick for Lara! She also converted her own try. 

Final score- 36-14    Some fantastic forward runs by Lonnie, Izzy and Amy. Great breaks and defending by Hannah and Ellie. Tackling like a demon as always from a returning Lucy and Faye. Really good link up play from Jocelyn who was not afraid to get into the ruck when she needed to.

U15s Sevenoaks v Tunbridge Wells Friendly

Sunday 28 November 2021

Sevenoaks 24 Tunbridge Wells 39

Sluggish Start Hold Oaks Back

On a bitterly cold late November Sunday Oaks kicked off against Tunbridge Wells in a match played over four quarters. Oaks started very slowly and their lack of match practice showed as aggression was lacking in rucks and in the tackle. Tunbridge Wells were not particularly strong themselves from a team perspective but had a couple of very good individual players - one big and strong forward who was fairly quick plus a diminutive speedster in in their backline. By the end of the second quarter Oaks were well behind and looking like they’d rather be anywhere else than on a rugby pitch facing a biting wind!

In the third quarter, however, the momentum seemed to suddenly swing - Maddie did well to stem the flow by making some solo advances and from one of these Jaime picked up a loose ball and curved a 30 yard run in behind the TWs defence to the right corner before being stopped on the line where Imogen was on hand to run the ball home. Maddie herself then ran home a penalty from close range before again storming a startled away defence before the ball was shipped out wide to Valentina for her fist try for Oaks – well done!

Tunbridge Wells deserved the win overall due to a sluggish start from Oaks but well done to Maddie who was named forward player of the match and Imogen for being nominated as back's player of the match. Plenty to work on but lots of positives too – onwards and upwards!