Varsity Sevens Kicks Off Rugby Season

The Cambridge rugby season kicked off in style yesterday with the annual Varsity Sevens tournament at Grange Road.

Loughborough triumphed in a competition which pitted colleges against the Blues and other university sides.

Jesus, Fitz, Homerton and Queens’ were the only college sides to make the quarter-finals. They faced United Hospitals, Loughborough, the Blues and Edinburgh respectively.

In the first semi-final, a clinical Loughborough left United Hospitals licking their wounds after a heavy thrashing.

And the Blues played some of their best rugby of the day in the second semi against Edinburgh. Skipper Jimmy Richards’ exemplary kicking from the restart allowed the Blues to dominate possession, finishing with a scoreline of four tries to Edinburgh’s two.

Pictures of the Quarters, Semis and Final of the Varsity Sevens by The Tab’s star photographer Tim Sherrington.

The final provided a challenge too far for Richards’ tired men, who were ruthlessly put to the sword by Loughborough. The visitors’ early tries made the match an uphill struggle for the Blues, and their fitness could not match a team whose ‘university’ suffers under the misapprehension that spending time in the gym constitutes learning.

‘Controversy’

The early rounds saw an impressive set of performances from Jesus, including their defeat of the University 2nd team, known as the LX Club.

And there was controversy for John’s, whose 2nd team was disqualified after bringing out first team players when they went behind against Jesus II.

The John’s 1st VII fared no better. The Red Boys were annihilated by Loughborough, a performance not helped by their decision to hit the booze when they learnt which opponents they faced next.