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Sub-16 Strike Gold in Austria

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Sub-16 Strike Gold in Austria

The Sub-16 Sevens A team take the trophy, and the B team also do very well, as part of the St. Julian's School participation in the United World Games in Austria. Read the tour report and view images here.

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View images from the tour here


Sub-16 Austria Tour Report by Lorne King
It was with great excitement that a group of 25 rugby players 2 coaches and 1 manager embarked on the inaugural  St. Julians rugby tour to the United World Games in Klagenfurt, Austria on Thursday 18 June. Once arriving in Vienna we had a longer than expected bus journey on to Klagenfurt. This was quickly forgotten as the boys arrived to a cosmopolitan atmosphere at Klagenfurt with 7,000 young competitors from all over the world celebrating sport.

The following day it was down to the business of why we were there to play, rugby!

Up first was our B team who started with a very impressive 14-5 victory. Next up was the A team who got their campaign underway with a 57-0 win against a team from France. The B team lost their second game 19-7, but the A team kept their momentum going with a 35-5 win over a team from Germany.

The next morning was to prove crucial as they would decide who would play in the knockout rounds. The B team won the most exciting game of the tournament in the morning 7-0 and the A team carried on their way with a 52-0 win. Although the B team lost their last game of the morning 31-7 against the eventual finalists, they had already qualified for the quarter final, a magnificent achievement considering they were a B team playing against A teams.

First up in the Quarter finals were the A´s who beat a team from Slovenia 57-0. The B team played against group winners from another group and gave their all but sadly lost 36-0. This meant we were down to the final four on the last day. The A team had their Semi-Final against SG Oberhavel from Germany and although they did not play their best game they still won comfortably 40-7. This meant the grand final would be St Julians of Portugal versus Valpolicella of italy. We knew the game would be tough as we had watched this side play against our B team earlier. They had some very quick players, but we were confident our skill levels and team work were better.

The final began and it was very close initially, with both sides scoring one try each, but our team work and support play started to come to the fore. We started running in some great tries and eventually won 55-5. We were in a bit of a hurry to catch our bus to Vienna so our gold medal ceremony and trophy presentation and celebrations had to happen as we left the field.

Although the scores were wide, the boys have to take credit for that. They played an exceptional brand of Sevens rugby. Playing with width, off loading, supporting the ball carrier and making some bone-crunching tackles. We received glowing compliments from other teams and supporters for the way we played. Most importantly however the boys brought pride to St Julians Rugby Club, and to Portugal. Well done lads. It is a memory that will last forever!

A special well done to Duarte Bacelar and Kian Fay who were chosen as MVP of the A and B team respectively. A big thank you to the hard work of coaches Craig Monaghan and Craig Ferris. Until next year then...
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