RUGBYVECTIS under-11s’ end-of-season tour lived up to expectations once again as the side brought back not one but two trophies from Weston-Super-Mare.
With nine games in the space of two days, it was a gruelling tournament but the Vectis boys earned their spurs with some dogged performances.
They had a shock on the first day when they lost 4-2 to Ealing, tries scored by Fred Boyce and Will Vaughan before being defeated by Caerphilly 2-1, Aaron Moore scoring the Island side’s try.
And despite their best efforts, they were beaten 3-0 by the enigmatic Dubai Exiles.
The lesson from Dubai seemed to galvanise Vectis as they came out all guns blazing for the first Bowl round robin match against hosts Weston.
They won 3-0, with tries from Moore, Linton Cider and Vaughan. Then, facing Ealing again, they turned the tables and won 4-0, including tries from Danny Rackett, Vaughan and scrum half Joe Doyle, earning Vectis the Bowl title.
The second day was for the Challenge Cup competition, and the last thing Vectis really wanted was to face the Caerphilly outlaws but that was the luck of the draw.
However, this time there was no quarter given or asked with the Welsh forwards being held up twice on the line by Rackett to end the match 0-0.
Facing Dubai again was another tough challenge and there was no way back after the Exiles swept into a 4-0 lead by half time.
The final pool game was against Weston but it soon became clear that they were no match for a reinvigorated Vectis.
Boyce scored the first two, the steadfast Vaughan made it three and Matthew Smith made it 4-0 at half time after the best passing movement of the game.
Two more from the rampaging Boyce in the second half and a magnificent seventh from Rackett completed the try bonanza.
The culmination of the tournament was a Challenge Cup final against Dunstablians.
After a tense start, Vaughan scored his fifth try of the tournament early but the boys from Kent equalised immediately, however, it turned out to be a false dawn as Vectis charged to a 6-1 win. Tries were scored by Matthews, Boyce, Cider, two, and Doyle.
Man of the tournament for the forwards went to Joe McInnes, while the equivalent for the backs went to Rackett.
Vectis: Blair, Boyce, Chatfield, Cider, Downs, Doyle, Hall, Hopper, Jenkins, Kearney, Leaver, McInnes, McPadden, Matthews, Moore, Rackett, Smith, Toms, Vaughan.