The annual Graham ‘Basher’ Downes U12 Sevens festival hosted by Durban High School entered its 3rd year and was another resounding success as teams from across the country competed for the coveted trophy.
It was great to welcome Grey College from Bloemfontein who added an extra competitive edge to the tournament.
Fixtures started late on Friday afternoon, with all teams experiencing playing “under lights” on the famous Van Heerden Field. Saturday saw the round robin completed and the teams enter the knockout phase. Each team played seven fixtures over the two days making the trip to Durban more than worth their while.
KZN Development had an excellent tournament finishing 5th overall and claiming the Bowl final with a 21-10 victory over the invitational team from Zululand, namely R.S.S.A. Both teams have participated in all three tournaments thus far.
The Shield final was contested between Glenwood Prep 2nds and Kloof Primary, with the former lifting the Trophy with a narrow 14-12 win.
Ultimately, there was only one team that look destined for this year’s Cup and break DPHS grip on the trophy which they have won for the past 3 years. Glenwood Prep 1st marched to the final after a convincing win against last year’s champions DPHS with a 48-0 victory.
They met the ever impressive Grey College who had overcome Hillcrest in their semi-final with a 19-7 win. Hillcrest were competing in their 3rd tournament as well and have been in the top 4 on two occasions.
The final proved to be too much for the men from Bloemfontein as Glenwood Prep ran out 40-0 victors to claim the Cup trophy and round off an impressive festival!
Many thanks must go to all the participating teams and coaches who made the event such a success. DHS must also thank our sponsors BBF Safety Group and Pepper’s and Pans for their continued support in taking Sevens rugby in KZN to the next level.
The Final positions were as follows:
- Glenwood Prep 1 – Cup Winners
- Grey College
- DPHS
- Hillcrest
- KZN Development – Bowl Winners
- RSSA
- Port Natal
- Penzance 1
- Glenwood 2 – Shield Winners
- Kloof
- Penzance 2
- Scottburgh