Saturday 22nd May 2021
Hendon Rugby 66th Annual Sevens Competition
Rugby, played under Adapted Laws with no scrums and mauls, had only been allowed from 1st May but despite this extremely short season of four weeks Hendon Rugby organised a series of local ‘round robin’ fixtures for the 15-a-side game with Enfield Ignatians, Finchley and Kilburn playing in a mini league and then concluded with the 66th Annual Hendon 7-a-side Competition which proved to be the most successful 7s event for many a year.
Thanks are due to the many club volunteers who helped on the day to ensure that both players and spectators had a safe and good day of rugby.
Commented Craig Silver, Manager of the Hendon 7s “The 7-a-side game fitted perfectly into the Adapted Laws format allowing players to show their rugby skills to the full. The fine weather helped of course but the enthusiasm to get back on the pitch by all the players ws clear to see"
Playing on the two Hendon pitches Hendon had capped the entry to a maximum of 16 teams which on the day played in four Pools of four teams split into two tiers with the Tier 1 Clubs competing for the Teddy Knox Trophy. The teams in each Pool played each other over three games with play offs between each pool to decide the winners.
Local entries included Hendon, Hampstead, Belsize Park, Finchley, UCS Old Boys and Haringey Rhinos.
In Tier 2 in the play-offs Hendon 2nds beat London French and Feltham defeated Haringey; the second placed Clubs competed for the Vase with Belsize Park 2s defeating UCS OB whilst the first placed teams played for the Seamus Lavelle Bowl Trophy. This was won by Hammersmith and Fulham 2nds who defeated Chess Valley.
In the Tier 1 main Club Competition play offs, the host Club Hendon were second best to Hackney with last year's winner Worth OBs narrowly beating Old Paulines. For the second placed Clubs Hampstead won the Brandler Plate coming out winners over Finchley.
The Final match of the day 5.20pm, saw a brilliant game of 7s with the two favourites battling for the main Trophy with Hammersmith and Fulham 1st team adding a second successful final to take the Teddy Knox Trophy as victors over Belsize Park 1st.
So ended the extended and very short season with the traditional Hendon 7s, the longest running Club 7s event in the RFU, with players from all competing Clubs seemingly contented to have each played 4 games of Sevens, had a few beers in a covid safe environment and departed knowing the game of Rugby Football at amateur level is “alive and kicking”.
After a short break in June, Hendon will be playing touch rugby in Hendon Park before Head Coach Phil Smith brings them together in early July to prepare for next season when both the 1st and 2nd teams will be competing in higher Leagues having been promoted.
