Lincolnshire Lancers will go into the final round of the IGR (International Gay Rugby) Series at the top of the table.
At the annual IGR tournament Touch my Brum in Birmingham, new captain Ashley Vamplew led the Lancers with support from Lauren Underdown.
The Lancers were low on numbers going into the tournament, but that didn’t stop their hard work from training shining through. Iceni RFC, a friend of the Lancers, lent them a player - Aaron Wardell - to help the Lancers have the minimum numbers required to take part.
The Lancers finished the pool stages, with one win, one draw and one loss, but a positive try difference. The Lancers drew 1-1 with Reading Renegades B, lost 1-0 to Amps-East End Electric, and beat Northampton B.WS 4-2.
With a stroke of good fortune in the 33 degree heat, JW Bird dropped out of the tournament which gave Lancers a bye to the semi-final.
Lincoln beat Liverpool Tritons 2-1 in a fiercely-fought semi-final. Despite incredible defensive work, Lincoln narrowly lost the final 1-0 to the very talented Welsh team Swansea Vikings.
Highlights from the tournament included Lily Makin, who has already proved she has the endurance and talent to excel in the sport despite having only played it for two months. Lily was named as the captain’s MVP.
Wardell, whose driving in the midfield secured essential scoring opportunities for the Lancers, and the vice captain’s MVP Brooklyn Wilton, also excelled. Brooklyn came out of their shell to such an extreme that they were performing like a player beyond their years.
A special mention was also given to Vamplew who led the team with such positivity on his first outing as captain. Finishing second was seen as an amazing success and not a near miss.
On Saturday, July 19 Lincolnshire Lancers hosted an IGR Series day for the first time and it proved to be a big success.
Vice captain Alex Wright stepped up in the absence of poorly skipper Vamplew for what would be their final outing as a Lancer before moving down south. Former captain Logan Teague returned as vice captain for the day.
It was a great day for the Lancers at Lincoln Rugby Club as they won all four of their matches.
After beating Coventry Corsairs 3-1, the Lancers claimed a hard-fought 5-3 win over Newcastle Ravens.
The Lancers followed that up with a 4-1 win over Nottinghamshire Hurricanes before ending the day by beating Sheffield Vulcans 4-0.
The captain’s MVP went to Owen Elliott for his great performances sprinting down the sing. The is the first MVP for Owen, but will certainly not be his last as he is consistently dedicated to the club and improving his game.
The vice captain’s MVP went to Gregor Robertson Morris for his incredible footwork in the midfield, where time and again he stepped around the opposition in difficult conditions.
The weather had threatened to call the day off but, despite a lot of rain, the Lancers managed a clean sweep at their home series day to secure top spot going into the final round of matches.
The final IGR Series day is scheduled to take place in Newcastle on August 16.
