Apache Braves complete a hat-trick of MKRuggerfest wins

With the temperatures in the high twenties on Saturday, the MKRuggerfest festival of music and rugby was going to be tough day to play rugby 7s for the 39 teams taking part in various competitions.

The day was split into a number of competitions from the relaxing and sociable SportsEdge Beer Drinkers tournament that hosted 6 teams mainly from Milton Keynes and Bletchley and 4 ladies team from afar as North Wales and London, to the Mens Open Kingston Press Cider Hemmingway Cup that hosted 12 select rugby 7s teams from around the UK.

Local interest was strong in the Beer Drinkers tournaments with a Barbarian team, AZOZ Gwinness Cougars, Fitzy Misfits and Trump Mexican Wall Builders all being formed from local Milton Keynes and Bletchley players. However, it was the local rugby league side MK Wolves that narrowly beat the Barbarians in the final to lift the trophy.

The ladies social tournament was lifted by Harlequins from London, however Shotton Steel who travelled from North Wales to attend the ladies social tournament were presented with the John Silk Award for the team that most embodies the spirit of the sport.

Zulu Swans which was a combined side from Milton Keynes and Bletchley rugby club and captained by Kyle Gibbings were competing in the mid level Mens Zoti Sports 7s tournament.

They finished second in their pool and progressed to the semi final against High Wycombe Green Dragons. A close match saw them edge past the Dragons 24-22 to set up a final against Zoti Preseli Babas from Cardiff. Having met the team in the earlier pool stages they were once again to strong, and they were convincingly beaten to an honourable second place in the tournament out of 12 teams.

In the Ladies Character Press competition, local team Backs Bucks hosting a number of Bletchley ladies players including Scotland international Caroline Collie and Rachael Rae Taylor made it to the final against Find Rugby Now but they proved to strong and ended up runners up.

The Hammerheads were the only local interest in the top level Mens Kingston Press Cider Hemmingway Cup which hosted a number of very strong specialist rugby 7s teams. The Hammerheads finished second in their pool to progress to the semis against title holders strong Apache Braves team who went on to take the title again with a convincing win over Oxfam Crusader 7s 24-12.

This makes it three titles from the last three years for Apache and they now progress to the RFU 24 Sevens regional tournament at London Irish on Saturday July 8.