Sevens bonanza for youngsters

The GasanMamo Youth Rugby 7s tournament was played recently at Marsa with the participation of all local clubs ensuring a significant turnout.

In fact, around 100 players took part and one could tell from their faces that a good day was had by all.

They were all presented with certificates by Brian Daltan, vice-president of the Malta Rugby Football Union, while trophies were awarded to the winning clubs.

In Under-12s, where an exciting crop of players is coming through, Kavallieri, Birkirkara and Valletta Lions all vied for the honours.

Each team played each other twice with a dominant display from Valletta who won the category.

The U-14s came down to Kavallieri vs Birkirkara, an old rivalry from last year renewed in the form of the 7s game.

Again, Kavallieri proved too strong to beat their rivals and finish top of the standings.

The main competition proved to be a tough challenge for all with some fine play from Kavallieri, Gladiators and Birkirkara.

Each game lasted longer than the usual seven minutes allotted to give the boys some much-needed competition.

The day belonged to Birkirkara for whom a good number of youngsters have played for a long time, leading them to win the tournament overall.

Bright future

“We are very satisfied with the direction youth rugby in Malta is taking,” Julian J. Mamo, director at GasanMamo Insurance, said.

“The future looks bright, confirmed by the increasing numbers of young players and the demand for rugby-based games in schools.

“The tournament was a hit and the growth in popularity of this sport is very encouraging.

“So, we will maintain our support to ensure that this progress continues.”