Tag Rugby Triumph

Beechwood Preparatory school took the honours at the annual Tunbridge Wells Tag Rugby Festival in 2011. The games began with a league format where the winning teams and the best two runners-up go through to contest the Cup. We started well winning the first three games. A select last eight were thrown into the hat and the next round was announced as a knockout format: win and you go on, lose and you're out. At this point in the competition the range of ability narrows and you find that teams are all fast and agile.

After a change of ideas and plans, we played the next team and won. The announcement came over the sound system that we faced last year's winners and we scored 5 tries to their 4 in the last fifteen seconds. Last year's winners were out.
We had made the final, which was an amazing achievement for the team. The crowd gathered, the teams went out, the coin was tossed, the tag turnover went up to six. We went 3-1 down clawing to 3-2 at half time. We equalised and then went 4-3 down with a minute to go. A break away run got an equaliser for 4-4 which meant a Golden Try (who ever scores first wins). The team who lose the toss call and in effect, if you get possession, you essentially win.

After discussion with the event organiser, it was felt to be unfair for the final to decided by this method and so extra time was agreed, with 2 minutes each way. We were 2-all in the last ten seconds of the second period of extra time when we made a clear break away to the try line only for the try not to be allowed. Golden try was called, our opponents having possession by tracing back the result of the earlier toss. Tag 1, oh well done that's good, but still, we did OK didn't we? Tag 2, too many to go, Tag 3, that was a good one, Tag 4, come on Beechwood, Tag 5, Mr Carson screaming at the top of his voice! Tag 6, nearly lost his voice. Possession turned to us and we were deep inside our own territory. Tag 1, Tag 2 still got a few to go, Tag 3, come on, Tag 4 we've won. Mr Carson collapses. Well done team.