The best junior rugby tournament ever?

Finally a few minutes to look back on yesterday. Mike will be doing his report shortly, and we are all looking forward to hear how the U15s got on today, but its worth looking back on the first (of many, hopefully) Gloucester City 10s overall. Because it was quite something.

The early wake up calls we could have done without! Bubbles was on the ball, texting Carla at 5am to ensure that Carla was up and about - such thoughtfulness clearly delighted Carla as she told all and sundry about it. No general meet, so everyone toured around picking up their own individual car fulls before making varied routes to Hartpury.

A cold arrival, the promised sun not appearing until later in the day. First priority was the location of the loos (and Hayley was not even with us!) the registration, changing, setting up camp, and getting the measure of who else was there. The usual. And then maybe not. Not many tournaments have Harrier Jet cockpits to crawl over, for example - the RAF were here as main sponsor (yes - a girls' tournament with a sponsor!).

Then the schedule. It made sense. One match per hour - no three hour gaps followed by back-to-back games here! Always knowing exactly where you were playing and when was also a plus -this was a tournament that ran to time!  Plus the RAF Challenge (which everyone enjoyed, even if the result was - for us - rather forgetable!)...

The squad - a picture of concentration as the RAF Challenge is explained. Mel especially... 

As for the games - some quality teams on show, and possibly the best U18 club game most of us have ever seen (the pulsatating cup semi-final between Worcester and Burfield - a game that had all the neutrals on their feet applauding - fantastic game). And elsewhere there was the tackle by one of the Drybrook/Hucclecote girls (I think?) that sent Sasha crashing over the touchline into the crowd - not a sight you see every day! The finishing positions, 1-10, were something like this:

1st: Drybrook/Hucclecote combination

2nd: Worcester

3rd: Burfield

4th: Suffolk Sabres

5th: Exeter Saracens

6th: Letchworth

7th: Welwyn

8th: Newquay

9th/10th: Old Northamptonians/Berry Hill (not sure about the result of their playoff!)

All that plus free lunch after the group stage, and a free hot meal at the end. Just think what a day it would have been if the Welsh had been there as well - but even without them this was an amazing day of rugby that everyone will remember. Well done Gloucester Girls' Rugby Trust - you are brilliant!

Then, suitably refueled, it was in the cars and home again. Car fulls of rather quieter girls, I suspect if mine is the example to go by. No emergency toilet stops for once (can't think why...), and home at around 10pm via the country lanes around Meppershall (Georgie's house giving "hard to find" a whole new meaning!). Quite a day!

Wonder if there will be a report on the RFU website? ;-)

• Phil's pictures now available