A MAGNIFICENT seven of the Rams Sirens Under 18 squad have been picked to represent Berkshire.
Following trials at Reading RFC on Friday night, Ffion Kemp, Freya Meadows, Holly Oakley, Paige Hopkins, Morgan Hadaway, Izzy Bruton and Lucy Simpson all got the nod following an evening where the standard of skills on show was top notch.
It is the highest number of girls Rams have ever had picked by the county, and they took their form into a top-of-the-table league clash with Trojans on Sunday, running out impressive 47-22 winners.
Despite the squad being U17 and therefore playing a year up, Sirens showed great resolve and teamwork throughout the contest.
The trailed 10-7 at the end of the first quarter, but turned on the style to move 21-10 in front by half time and then 33-17 by the end of the third stanza.
Despite suffering a setback when Simpson was forced off with a concussion, they rounded out a wonderful display by making light of the numerical disadvantage to seal the win.
The victory means the girls complete the pool stage as unbeaten champions and will take on the winners of the other group later in the year.
Delighted manager Luke Simpson said: “This was a collective team effort with improvements in rucking and tackling which have been the recent work-ons.
“The girls also demonstrated dynamic control regarding the speed and pace of the game, while the final try showed the versatility and ability to chip the on-rushing defence, collecting the bouncing ball and scoring under the posts.
“The squad has many talented players who have been offered opportunities to further their rugby experiences at Henley College and Ealing Trailfinders Academy, and we look forward to seeing how they continue to develop.”
Meanwhile, watching Wasps Academy guru Pat Metcalf described the girls as a ‘very good team’.
Full squad: Amelia Athey, Izzy Bruton, Beth Green, Izzy Green, Morgan Hadaway, Paige Hopkins, Ffion Kemp, Freya Meadows, Holly Oakley, Lucy Simpson, Katie Sollitt, Abi Turpin, Becky Turpin.
By Richard Ashton
