Last week, we headed to Lisbon for the Youth Rugby Sevens Tournament with our top academy players. We took four squads across two age groups: U16 Girls, U16 Boys, U18 Girls and U18 Boys. Across the tournament, they had the opportunity to compete against club and academy sides from the host nation, Portugal, as well as teams from Spain, Canada, Belgium, the USA, and other UK sides.
Day one of the tournament set the tone for the weekend with a phenomenal performance across all four squads. Across the pool games, UR7s won 11/12 matches, scored 528 points and conceded just 38. It was an outstanding display of teamwork, dangerous attack and defensive discipline from each UR7s team. A particular shoutout must go to the U16 boys who didn’t concede a single point all day!
Sunday brought the knockout rounds, where the intensity stepped up another level. All four of our teams progressed through the quarter-finals with relative ease, setting up a big afternoon of semi-finals and finals.
Our U18 Girls faced a very strong Atlantis 7s side from the USA in the semi-final. Despite a huge effort, they narrowly missed out on a place in the final. However, the team responded brilliantly in the 3rd vs 4th playoff, delivering a dominant performance to secure bronze.
Meanwhile, our U16 Girls, U16 Boys, and U18 Boys all powered their way into their respective Cup Finals – and what followed was something special. Each team rose to the occasion and delivered incredible performances to bring home three Cup titles.
One of the most impressive aspects of the weekend was how quickly each squad came together. What started as 13 individual players in each team quickly developed into tight-knit, united groups, both on and off the pitch. The way the players gelled across the tour was incredible to see – a real testament to the incredible coaching team we had with us!
Final Standings
U16 boys: 1st of 24 teams 🥇
U16 girls: 1st of 4 teams 🥇
U18 boys: 1st of 24 teams 🥇
U18 girls: 3rd of 14 teams 🥉
Individual Recognition
The tournament also saw three of our players recognised for their outstanding performances, each being nominated as Tournament MVP in their division:
- U16 Girls: Emily Cooper-Illingworth
- U16 Boys: Barney Danks
- U18 Boys: Joshua Greyling
The Team to Beat
Across the tournament, our teams played with confidence, skill, and real unity. Competing against strong international opposition and bringing home three Cup wins and a bronze medal is something the entire group should be incredibly proud of!
Thank you to Sports Ventures for making it happen, we are already counting down to next year.
