Page 60 - QDG 2023

58 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
Bournemouth 7s
What a weekend for QDG rugby: QDG’s first ever involvement in one of the biggest 7s tournaments in the world. QDG is filled with young (and old) talent and have had an influx of around six or seven young, flying Fijians which is great news for the old generation as the majority of them are held together with tape most gamedays (but still manage a huge shift every week!)
With accommodation at Bovington Camp, Team Fiji (with a northerner and two ginger Welshmen attached) travelled down a day before, in time for a captains run the night before with a few beers, ready for the weekend ahead.
We knew from the off it would be a challenging weekend as the festival is absolutely filled with talent from the Elite Groups down to the Snakebite Cup. We had entered the Challenge Cup, one below the elite. We knew we had a strong team with a lot of experience and talent but not much playing time together. We would play 3 matches during the group stage, and needed to finish in the top 2 to progress through to finals. On the following day the quarters, semis and finals would be played.
We arrived on the first day with the sun beaming. Perfect 7s weather.
FIRST GAME: Shaky start with a 19 – 7 loss against The Sussex Raiders.
SECOND GAME: Back in with a respectable 27-19 win against a very good Smugglers 7s side.
THIRD GAME: Unbelievable Hammer- head 7s who beat us 35-1. They absolutely shredded everyone in the group convinc- ingly. That’s it, our weekend is finished, no finals day. Or so we thought...
Every other team had lost the same number of games as us (minus the Hammerheads) and we had the least number of points scored against us, which meant we went through on points and finished second in the group.
Few beers to cool off.
A decisive line break
Only one elected to play bare foot
FINALS DAY: Straight to the semis to play a strong Lonely Goats RFC on the stadium pitch. Half time finishes 12-12 and by full time the score stands at 24-24. A draw meant it was down to a golden try to win it in extra time. QDG RFC manage an outstanding try under the sticks to move us onto the final against Bourne- mouth Uni’s Buffalo 7s.
The final match was a scorcher. QDG are up 24-19 with seconds to go, when Buffalo 7s score to make it 24-24. This, followed by a clinically executed conver- sion, secures their victory. A 26-24 loss at the death which brought an unbelievable weekend for QDG RFC to an end.
In true Fijian spirit, at the end of every
day, a Fijian hymn would be sung as a collective (before several beers were had to ease the strain of the singing.)
A big mention to Sgt James Casey who had a blinder of a weekend and earned our man of the tournament closely followed by Cpl Bobo who was also outstanding.
Injuries sustained Hangovers Oakleys lost
Flip flops lost Beers consumed Money spent
=2 = 15 =1 =2 = yes = yes
EJ
As ever team Fiji QDG did a lot of the heavy lifting