Friday (31st March) was not only the last day of term for our Under 7s team, but also the first day of their first ever tour as a group of players. There were some very excited players (and as it transpires – parents!) making their way up the A1 to ‘Skeg-Vagas’ and the Golden Palm Resort on a wet and windy Friday afternoon.

We travelled with 14 of our superstars, some of whom had been with the team since they were 4 years old. This was their first tour – as coaches we knew it was going to be a special one for them.

The excitement grew as they experienced Club Tropicana for the first time on Friday night – even some of the parents’ got selfies with the resorts 6-foot-tall, star-spangled yellow dress wearing dog / cow (?). Soft play, arcades, Haribo and fizzy drinks fueled the kid’s enthusiasm. They were itching to get started with the rugby early the next morning!

Saturday was cold, but thankfully dry. It was early – 8.30am. Despite a late Friday night, all the kids were on time ready for a morning of rugby and looking fantastic in their brand-new tour kit. Face paint on - we got them into their teams (Thundercats, Thunderbirds and Thunderpants).

Up against Bourne Juniors and OCs A and B – the kids played a blinder!
Even in the blustery conditions, the evasive running and selfless passing and teamwork stood out for all three teams.

For Thundercats, Josh and Aiden displayed many moments of powerful running and quick turn of pace. Felix with his fancy footwork left the opposition dizzy and Ben linked up the play between defence and attack with his dynamic running and tough tagging. Patrick thwarted the oppositions every move with relentless tagging.

The Thunderbirds were our four-person team. No subs meant that they had to work extra hard! Finley, Fossy, Jack and Kaiden linked up well, all with great feet, finding space to cut through each opposition defence. The tries came thick and fast.

Finally, the Thunderpants. They most definitely had the wind behind them on Saturday morning. Robson was silent and deadly – when he had the ball the opposition didn’t have a sniff. Ellis was ball hungry (and just as keen to be the rock, paper scissor specialist at the start of each game!). His runs were deadly! The link-up play between Benji and Otis was slick and mesmerizing and created opportunity on the pitch. And Charlie put in a great shift scoring some determined tries - particularly during game one and two before his feet got too cold!

We certainly held our own, looked organised and well drilled. Some proud parents, sugar fueled kids (they had made a small inroad into the extensive snack bag that was available on pitch side during the morning's play), and some very happy coaches left Skegness Rugby Club and headed back to the Golden Palm Resort for an afternoon of swimming and getting ready for the “Club – Tropicana” themed fancy dress.

That evening the kids got lost in the excitement of the arcades, music and soft play once again. The adults also had some fun!
Some bleary-eyed tourists woke up to a bright and sunny Sunday for our second day of rugby. It didn’t disappoint.
Despite having now had two late nights, the kids really turned it on. They showed excellent character and pulled out all the stops. They really shone as a team, and all gave some of their best displays of the season. Most impressively was the team ethic. More often they were looking for the pass and working as a team. It wasn’t who scored the try that was important, but how the team scored the try. They should all be proud of how far they have come on this season!

Sunday was completed with a very special presentation evening. The players all received their medal from Tom Curry and to top it all off the Under7s collectively received the tournament Fair Play Award. They really represented themselves and the club well both on and off the pitch. Well done!

Our Tour Teams -
Thunderpants: Charlie, Benji, Robson, Ellis, Otis
Thunderbirds: Jack, Kaiden, Finley, Finn (Fossy)
Thundercats: Ben, Aiden, Josh, Felix, Patrick