RUGBY
A NEW rugby sevens team has enjoyed its second tournament success.
The IW Barbarians, made up of players from various rugby clubs on the IW, reached the quarter-finals of the Lytchett Sevens tournament, where they were narrowly beaten by Blandford, a side playing two leagues above all the IW’s teams.
They began the tournament with a 26-0 win over Oaks, before losing 21-0 to eventual winners Gosport and Fareham. But they bounced back with a 48-0 win over Lytchett B to book their quarter-final spot.
The team’s first tournament was the Sandown Easter Sevens, where they reached the semi-finals.
Making their achievement all the more impressive is the fact the team went into these tournaments with little training, as work commitments of university studies make it hard for the squad to gather in their entirety.
Paul Tyson, of Tyson Developments, Cowes, is helping the side by paying entrance fees to the tournaments, while the players are paying for travel and other expenses.
The team’s next tournament is the Newquay Sevens in late June, with more planned for the summer.
Anyone interested in sponsoring to help cover travel or kit, can e-mail p-s-tysondevelopments@hotmail.co.uk