16 teams and 10 weeks of Touch later, we saw some epic battles across all divisions, as finals footy fever took over!
The temperature soared down at Sale FC, both on and off the pitch, as teams battled it out to be the OT7 Summer League winners 2022.
106 tries scored over the eight games played on finals night - Five battles ended with just one point difference and we saw three exciting drop offs, as we waited for our winners to be crowned.
Shield Final
Played between two established and local rugby clubs, Old Bedians Touch and Sedgley Park Touch Tigers. Both teams had similar track records in the pool stages and have grown and developed over the season.
The game went down to the absolute wire, and a last minute fumble over the whitewash saw Bedians taking the W, with a 6-5 score line.
The 15/16 playoff saw Bowden squared, as the Blades and Bears went head to head in a try fest, ending 11-10 to the Blades.
Bowl Final
A home advantage for the Chargers, as they took on Hit N Run on field one’s last game of the night.
They went try for try in the first half, as some of the Chargers stalwarts combined well with some set plays, whilst the young HNR hot steppers were on fire as they played a more adhoc style.
Chargers came out in the second half with some blistering pace from Stevens, dives for the line from Bellew and Pearce, set up platforms from Delaney and Bailey, whilst Cropper pulled the strings in attack and defence.
The young squad had bags of potential and fought hard, whilst missing Leota and Thompson, finally bowing out to the stronger Turbos team 8-6.
Sedgley Lions took Kuits down in a 10-5 win in the 11/12th playoff.
Plate Final
The NW Women took on The Animals, in a hotly contested plate final. The score line swung like a pendulum between each side over the 40 minutes, keeping the crowds guessing who’s be taking the silverware.
Brimelow’s all female squad were clinical in their play, with McKavanagh running the middles, with excellent support from Evans and Wise. Kelly and Paton added to the depth of the womens team, too.
The Animals came out fighting as their youngsters Howells and Xiberras combining with their accurate passing and explosive pace as the team fought against a more experienced and established Touch team.
The Davidson siblings added an extra layer too, as they teamed up well, creating numerous opportunities for the animals.
As the final whistle blew, the Womens team had just taken the lead at the right time, taking the spoils in a 9-8 victory.
The NW blades beat Chargers 3-1 in the 7/8th playoff.
Cup Final
OneSixOne took on PFT, both teams unbeaten in this seasons league, so we were poised for an epic final and the teams didn’t disappoint.
Meakin, Miemczyk and Phillips looked like they could score on demand, as they supported and helped develop their youth members Bainbridge and Thorpe.
Simons was the main threat in the PFT side, as Bowyer was unfortunately sitting out resting an Achilles injury.
A good strong driving pattern and targeted attack kept PFT in the game all the way until the final whistle - drop of time!
Composure was the key to success here as OneSixOne took the first tap off, with Phillips dotting down over the whitewash with a great dive into the far corner, putting them one up, with PFT still time to reply. The defence was too good though, as the final seconds drew to a close, 161 took the victory with a 7-6 score line and an excellent showcase of our sport.
Crewe pipped Shanked to the post in a 6-5 thriller, in the 3v4 playoff too.
A huge thanks to the full time referees (and those missing from the pic!), along with those player referees who stepped up to assist too.
3,200 minutes refereed and 980 tries awarded over the course of the summer - a big OT7 round of applause for all your continued efforts.
We go again
Our late summer league starts on August 10th for a further five weeks - and with only a few spots left, entry is suggested sooner rather than later to ensure you’re not missing out - FOMO sucks!
