By Kathryn Essex

St. Bees from Cumbria were the inaugural winners of the North West U18 Schools 7s trophy, with King Edward VII & Queen Mary School, Lytham, picking up the Shield.

The tournament last month at Preston Grasshoppers RFC saw eight teams and over 70 girls from schools all over the region competing. St. Bees beat King’s School, Macclesfield, 10-5 in the final. KEGS beat Caldy Grange Grammar School, Wirral, in the Shield final.

Tournament organisers Kathryn Essex, Caroline Wolfendale and Stuart Urquhart were really pleased with the event, which should now take place annually. Kathryn said, “The numbers of players, standard of play and spirit were excellent. With all these players experiencing contact rugby, the future of U18 girls’ and senior rugby in the North West is looking good.”