Sutton Coldfield 13 – 10 Stafford

Tuesday 26th April saw Stafford Colts playing in the semi-final of the Fred Rowley Memorial Trophy. This is an invitation only tournament held over three successive Tuesday evenings. The colts faced a stiff test against Sutton Coldfield, an opposition whose club plays two leagues above the county towns 1st XV.

Stafford dominated the game for large periods, with tries from Ben Chatfield and Ollie Leigh giving the team a deserved lead. The match was shortened after a possible serious back injury to one of the Sutton Coldfield players, the game being suspended for almost an hour. This changed the momentum and from being totally in command before the injury, the Stafford team couldn’t get back into a rhythm after the restart. A late red card reduced the county town colts to fourteen and two penalty opportunities, underneath the posts, were declined in favour of the scrum. Despite a fighting performance a last minute try put the victory in the hands of the Sutton Coldfield XV.

Although disappointed with the loss the young squad can hold their heads high after a great performance against higher league opposition. Bryan Pryce, Colts Manager said “We enjoyed it, played some good rugby, made friends and are looking forward to being asked back next year. The season has been really good with many highlights:

· We won the Staffordshire County Cup
· Finished 4th in The North Midlands Colts League, earning some great wins along the way,
· Over 38 players have played Colts Rugby
· The Conveyor belt to the Seniors has been maintained with Dean Ainger, Cal Jones and Will Hamplett regular 1st teamers, many more playing in the 2nd and 3rds,
· 8 players have represented the County in the under 18’s and Dean Ainger in Under 20’s.

The future looks very bright for the club”