National Cup: news on the next round...

... is hard to come by.

There is a link to a page of results on the RFUW website, but when you click on it you find that its LAST YEAR's results. There is only news about this year's competition on the website features the performance of, well, us - there is nothing else at all, not even a list of the competing teams.

I've therefore been trawling around the wesbites other likely entrants and the main thing I have discovered is that many, even most, clubs - even those with big, strong girls teams that anyone in their right mind would be proud of - seem strangely embarrased to admit they exist. Exeter Saracens have the link to their female pages in a smaller font than the other main links, Worcester admit the team exists but give no news as to their activities, and Plymouth seem to have a very small photo but no links to any information at all that I could find.

I could find nothing on the U14s, by dint of much careful detective work I discover that the U17 south-west qualifier took place at Ivel Barbarians in Somerset and featureed six teams - Wimborne, Hucclecote, Taunton, Ivy-bridge [a combined Ivel/Bridgewater team from Somerset that has no connection with "Ivybridge" from Devon], Thornbury, and Reading.

The results (that I have) traced were:

Pool A:
Wimborne (Dorset) 19, Hucclecote (Gloucestershire) 0
Wimborne 36, Taunton (Somerset) 0
Hucclecote 12, Taunton 0
Wimborne qualify

Pool B:
Ivy-bridge (Somerset) 17, Reading (Berkshire) 10
Thornbury (Gloucestershire) 29, Reading 10
Ivy-bridge beat Thornbury
Ivy-bridge qualify

So that gives four qualifers - two from Herts, one from Dorset, and one from Somerset. As one qualifier was played in Somerset (at Ivel Barbarians) and one in Hertfordshire (at our place), my guess is that its unlikely that the semi final will be in either county. In addition Dorset is kind-off in in-between Herts and Somserset - so I suspect that the U17s will be on a trip to Thomas Hardy country on 4th February.

Journey time - two and a half to three hours, or about 134 miles.

What are they like?

Wimborne we know, sort of, as we played them in the National Sevens Plate semi-final last season - see March in the calendar. Yes - the game that took place in a monsoon! Typical southerners - quick backs, forwards of lesser reputation. They are in the same league as Worthing... but a division BELOW.

Ivy-bridge are a combination of Ivel Barbarians and Bridgewater. They did beat Thornbury, who were last year's finalists, but other than that - being a combined team - its anyone's guess. Ivel on their own have won three out of five in the "Somerset and Gloucester Friendly League" (this is presumably one down from the "Somerset and Gloucester Deadly Enemies Conference").

They do have the England U19 No. 8 - 17 year old Marley Packer - in their line up, so may well have a pack better than the average for the south. Sasha will relish this game I suspect.