Sandal RUFC teams out to make it a double success in national finals

​Both teams will travel to Worcester’s Sixways Stadium after making it a double header for Sandal and a first for the club’s Womens/Girls section.

With only five girls returning from last season’s successful National Cup run it was a very much changed team to start the 23/24 campaign for Sandal’s U16s.

The side included some players moving up in age from last year’s U14s, several new players to the club and a couple who had never played rugby union before.

They again took on teams from across the north of England and the Midlands and remained unbeaten in the competition as they march onto a final in Worcester against Finchley RFC.

The competition kicked off back in October with Sandal up against West Park Leeds and although the team took the victory with a 48-10 success it came at a cost.

New player Daisy suffered a season ending knee injury. Her presence on the pitch was a great loss to the team, but she has been ever present at training and games supporting the girls.

The next game was awarded a home win when Old Crocs could not get a team up, but the final pool game quickly came round and the team played against Littleborough in December.

The score ended up 44-5 and a well earned Christmas break from the competition followed with Sandal knowing they were through to the knockout stages.

January 24 saw the start of those knockout stages with an away trip to Houghton who Sandal faced in last season’s competition.

This was a much tighter fixture this year and was on the edge for most of the game before Sandal finally came out with a 24-7 win.

Rolling onto the quarter-finals brought the only home game of the knockout stage against Stafford when the girls ran in eight tries and kicked four conversions on their way to a 48-15 victory.

The semi-final saw a trip to Coventry to face Barkers Butts for what turned out to be the toughest game.

A tense affair swung both ways on the scoreboard and with four minutes to go Sandal looked in danger of going out as they were behind by six points.

However, a late converted try in a thrilling finish brought a 27-26 victory and another National Cup final for the U16’s.

The team have scored 30 tries on the way to the final, coming from 12 different players, Scorers have been Maddie (eight), Charlotte (five), Freya (five), Lillie (three), Grace (two), Ella, Hattie, Evie, Lilly, Ellie, Orla and Ruby.

It is on to Sixways now with another big performance needed to bring home the trophy.

The U18s will also be in action in their first National Cup final and travelling with 44 players and support staff is going to be an expensive business.

Sandal want to make life-long memories for these girls by giving them the best weekend ever, to recognise their achievement and cement their love of sport forever so they have a GoFundme page at https://gofund.me/c67f4268 if anyone would like to help support.