West Wolves win group at 2024 International Youth Rugby Series

West Norfolk under-13s travelled south to Chichester to compete in the 2024 International Youth Rugby Series held at Chichester College.The fun-filled weekend included a fancy dress parade which gave the touring team and supporters the chance to brand themselves the West Wolves from an ancient Viking clan, hundreds of players, coaches, and supporters.The West Wolves boys dropped their costumes and got their game faces on to go head-to-head against Hove Skyhawks.A high level of rugby from both sides set the tone for the day but saw Hove take the lead, so the Wolves created an emphatic comeback in the second half to finish 2-2.Now with the Wolves firing on all cylinders, the next test was to come from Battersea Ironside Challengers which did not disappoint.Wolves were rampant in all areas of the field producing some exceptional moments to secure their another draw in the competition.The third and final match of the day against Old Colefians was tightly contested, ending in a draw. A great first-day performance from all the teams set the mood for an exciting Sunday to finalise the tournament.Although Sunday was overcast with some drizzle the quality of rugby on the show brightened up the day. The young Norfolk side’s first clash finished up being a draw against Battersea Crusaders, which meant only wins from the next two games was needed to be champions of their group.All to play for and Hove was to be Wolves’ next to opponents to stand in the way of championship glory. The Wolves were courageous and continued to push themselves to break through Hove’s line of defence.A magical moment from Ethan, who kicked the ball over the front line of defence to then reconnect with a second kick through the backs in a head-to-head chase, chasing down the ball to score a thrilling try that sealed victory for his team. A long wait added tension to the touring Norfolk camp for the final game against Old Colefians, which was to be this under-13 team’s biggest game so far, having only managed a draw against them the previous day so it was all to play for.From the first blow of the whistle, the team from West Norfolk turned into an absolute storm of pride and prowess overpowering the Old Colefians in every department individually and collectively as a team.Spectators cheered and applauded the heroic performance of the West Wolves as they won 7-1 resulting in them being deservingly crowned champions of the group.