It was a different shape ball in use in the Midlands on Saturday – but the same outcome, as Wales took the honours in the latest MAN v FAT National Tournament.
Welsh teams have had dominance in MAN v FAT’s football events, and the trend was continued at MAN v FAT’s first ever Rugby National Tournament, as twelve teams came together at the home of Stourbridge Rugby club for a day of rugby and community.
The teams were split into two groups, with the sides aiming to progress to the knockout stages after five competitive matches.
The Welsh contingent from Merthyr and Swansea set out their stall early on, with some dominant performances in those group games. Merthyr Steel topped group B with a perfect five out of five record, whilst Merthyr Iron were also unbeaten with four wins and a draw – Swansea holding them 1-1 in their fixture.
There was still plenty to play for when it came to the other sides involved, with four of the six progressing to the knockouts.
Swansea, Blood, Sweat and Beers (Leicester) and Bristol Beers joined Merthyr Iron in Group A qualification, whilst Prop Tart Raiders (Wigan), Castleford Fat Cats and Nottingham joined Merthyr Steel in escaping Group B.
Blood, Sweat and Beers narrowly progressed past Prop Tart Raiders at the Quarter Final stage, whilst the two Merthyr teams and Swansea saw off their opponents without conceding a point.
The semis saw Iron continue to flex their muscles as they saw off Blood, Sweat and Beers, whilst Steel beat Swansea to set up an all Merthyr final.
In true MAN v FAT spirit, the two Merthyr sides contested an evenly matched final with the game finishing 2-2 – and an agreement from the Welshmen that the tie would end level and honours shared!
MAN v FAT Rugby Lead Karl White said of the tournament: “It was amazing to see over 100 players come together and participate in our first ever MAN v FAT Rugby national tournament. The whole day was played with an incredible spirt both on and off the pitch.
“Clubs were very supportive of each other and this really emphasises why MAN v FAT is such a great community to be a part of. There was some impressive rugby on display during the day, and I want to say well done to each and every player that took part as there were quite a few minutes of gametime over the course of the day.
“The final words must go to the winners of the tournament, MAN v FAT Rugby Merthyr. What an amazing day these guys had. Compliments were in the air from every club in attendance. Not only are the guys seemingly very good at Rugby, but their weight loss has also been incredible since launch with 37 players achieving a 5% weight loss.”
If you want to join MAN v FAT Rugby, we currently have 17 clubs up and running! Take a look at www.manvfatrugby.com for more details.
