Suffolk were crowned Eastern Counties champions after their emphatic 8-33 win at North Walsham RFC in the Sub-County Championship. After near misses for the last couple of seasons, this was just reward for the squad which has developed superbly under Noel Holloway.

The first half was closely fought but Suffolk turned up the heat in the second to run out five tries to one victors. Suffolk started out with a penalty when Norfolk killed the ball under their own posts and Chris Hadwen (Ipswich) slotted the kick home. The lead was short lived, however, as Norfolk levelled with their own penalty. A cracking tackle by Oxborrow (Bury St Edmunds) produced a turn over and Pete Le Marquand (Mersea Island) chipped ahead and when the full-back as scragged in possession, scrum half Jon Williams (Mersea Island) scampered round the blindside for a great score.

Suffolk completely dominated the second half. A cracking backs move sent Chris Hadwen away, and when the ball came quickly back to the other wing Styles had the simple job of touching down in the corner. A scrum against the head resulted in Norfolk giving away a penalty, Chris Hadwen stretching the lead to 16-3. The Suffolk pack in full control, Alex Primmer (Ipswich) took advantage to make a blindside break. Hadwen carried on the move and then Kent (Bury St Edmunds) and Primmer (Ipswich) combined well to send Williams in for his second try.

Norfolk did threaten for a brief period in the middle of the second half, and worked a good try for their left wing on the overlap but Suffolk went straight back on the attack. Man of the match Chris Hadwen helped himself to two more tries. With eight different Suffolk clubs represented in the side, skipper Chris Kent (Bury St Edmunds) was proud of the way the players had come together and the fact that no less than eight of the Suffolk squad were invited to go forward for full Eastern Counties training.