Edenbridge enjoyed a day of sun, silly outfits and success at the Fat Boy 7s this year. Despite the team not really being all that fat, nor particularly old (Tommy Wallis aside!) meaning that most matches were started at a 55-0 deficit, ‘Bridge showed a degree of talent for the 7-a-side game. After a swift warm up of a few games of pool and the now traditional “kick-the-ball- to-each-other-even-though-we-won’t-be-kicking-in-the-game-and-are-only- likely-to-pull-a-hamstring”^© ‘Bridge were ready to do battle in uncharted territories.

 

Dressed in an assortment of items found in charity shops and Primark Edenbridge took to the field for their first game against Seven More Stadlens. The game itself was won 3 tries to 2 but it was nowhere near enough to overhaul the 55 points determined through the handicap system.

Unfortunately, St Mary’s had failed to show up leaving Pool 3 one team short. This left ‘Bridge having a long wait between their two pool matches, but plenty of time to attack Aidan with a roll of electrical tape, to investigate the hog roast and to generally lie around in the sun and turn beautiful shade of pink. Cynics might argue that it was a deliberate ploy by Billy to match some of the lovely shades of cerise being exhibited by the rest of the Edenbridge team.

The next match was against a side going by the name of TNT Explosive Fatties, a team it seemed that had never played rugby before but who certainly looked the part and lived up to their name. Again the seemingly insurmountable wall of 55 points loomed. With only 14 minutes to score in 11 tries is going some. Amazingly Edenbridge climbed that wall…or at least they thought they had, only to be told that we had come up 5 points short. It was in this game that the ‘Big Ball’ was first encountered. Playing rugby with one of the novelty over-sized balls is an experience that all should have, especially attempting a drop goal with one!

The two pool losses saw Edenbridge into the Plate competition where Crawley BaaBaas lay waiting. The semi-final was ‘Bridge’s best rugby of the day and the experienced opposition were squeezed out 4 tries to nil with Edenbridge overcoming their 7 point handicap. Some cracking 7s was played by Edenbridge and they managed to make a team including several Crawley 1st XV players look very ordinary.

The final rolled around against our old friends St Francis, playing this time in very fetching pink shirts. The game began with St Francis 30-0 up. Despite being buoyed with hope at winning the Plate and self belief after the BaaBaas match, St Francis demonstrated what a team that trains at 7s can do, despite using the 'Big Ball' for the first half. They ran lines of support and had off-loads that Edenbridge could not close down. The game ended with Edenbridge having run in 2 tries to St Francis’ 6. A slightly disappointing way to end the day, but an excellent day out none the less.

Let’s go back next year, win something and try to get some more of our own ‘Fat Boys’ involved!

Click here for more photos of this quality day out for ERFC.

Edenbridge:

Squad: Tom Moody (capt.), Aidan Purvis, Tom Wallis, Billy Stevens, Gary Stevens, Sam Batchelor, Dom Mitchell, Ollie Lochhead, Sonny Daniels, Sam Perry, Gareth Battle, Bobby Weaver

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