23 February 2023
The Kirkham 1st VII made the long trip down to the Christ College, Brecon Sevens on Sunday 19 February. Following month-long preparations, KGS were excited to pitch themselves against the top schools in the UK in their first tournament of the season. They faced a tough group that included Clifton College, Hartpury College, Llandovery College B and Cathedral School, Llandaff.
In their first group game, Kirkham were too strong for the Llandovery B and won 47-0 with James Stacey, Harry Reay and Aiden Hayward looking sharp.
In their second group game, Llandaff posed much more of a threat and moved the ball well. However, Kirkham were patient and defended well. Hayward, Stacey and Harry Tomlinson took their chances well and scored valuable tries helping Kirkham to a 21-5 win.
In the biggest fixture of the group, Kirkham faced the mighty Clifton College. Kirkham really began to click in this game and surprised many with a 21-10 win. Again, Stacey and Reay caused havoc and Vincent Durcan had a solid performance scoring a crucial try.
In their final group game, Kirkham faced Hartpury College. Archie Barbour, Harry Tomlinson and Michael Webber were a handful, scoring well. James Sutcliffe and Oliver Greenwood continued to hold the defense together in the middle helping Kirkham to a 31-19 win.
In the cup quarter-finals, Kirkham then met old rivals, Millfield School. With a couple of early errors, Kirkham were soon behind, however Hayward responded with a good try. Millfield then seemed to have another level of energy and managed two more tries before half time. Kirkham were not finished and scored first in the second half through Webber. Millfield then scored again to seal the victory and knock Kirkham out of the competition. Despite the defeat, this was an extremely promising performance from a new team combination.
The Kirkham side look forward to testing themselves again this weekend at the Collegiate School Bristol 7s.
A selection of photographs from the competition can be viewed on our KGS Flickr page at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kgsphotos/albums/72177720306133860