Saturday the 27th of April H&D Hawks travelled to Chelmsford Rugby Club to take part in their first 7s tournament of the year. Spirits were high with a good blend of familiar faces and new recruits in the squad.

The first game saw the Hawks take on local rivals Bit Wavy and with neither side being able to break the other down the game ended in a draw.

Next came potentially the Hawks toughest test Find Rugby Now who had a team in both the open and the social. Nonetheless the Hawks rose to the challenge winning 31-12.

The Hawks then went on to top their group, going undefeated by also beating both Ongar II and LU sevens, scoring a total of 17 tries.

Due to topping their group the Hawks progressed to the final, facing Ongar I who consequently finished first in their group. The Hawks started fast with tries from both Andrew Sterry and Joe Flexman meaning they entered the half time break with a 12 point lead. Ongar responded well in the 2nd half, scoring 2 tries of their own without converting, leaving the score 12-10.

The Hawks were able to hold strong and defended well for the remainder of the match, keeping the score at 12-10. Crowning them the Chelmsford Social Cup Winners!

This was a big moment for the Hawks being their first tournament win since their creation in 2021. Now the lads set their sights on trying to pick up more silverware in the next tournament Olney 7s.

A thank you goes out to all the squad for their performances on the day as well as the spectators whose support gave a great boost. Also a big thank you to Chelmsford Rugby Club for hosting the event.

Also special mention to Sam Slatter who won ‘player of the day’ for some exceptional performances across the day. Scoring tries, making tackles and dictating play.

Report by Jack Mulligan