Page 80 - Phonebox Magazine October 2014

Olney Rugby Football Club
Aslightly grey and wet start to the day may have delayed the drinkers for a while but certainly didn’t dampen the
quality of sevens rugby on show at Olney 7s 2014. The 8th annual tournament, without doubt lived up to expectations with some keenly contested pool games, followed by some enthralling encounters in the later knockout stages. The Brakspear Open Tournament attracted teams who frequent the national 7s circuit including the 2012 winners CLIC Sargent Godfathers, Sherrards Assassins, The Seven Dwarves and the Welsh outfit Top She-Haggers. Club sides included Olney and local teams Bletchley, Northampton Mens Own, Bedford Athletic as well as National 2 sides Shelford RFC and Cambridge RFC (Blood & Sand 7s). Olney club players could also be seen playing for The Hammerheads and a number of the social tournament teams!
Gilpin Ladies
Gilpin ladies have just completed a successful summer season in the Milton Keynes summer tennis league and regained their position at the top of division one.
The team which was strengthened this year by the addition of Avril Tarry to the squad only conceded 8 sets in seven matches. They also reached the final of the ladies divisions 1 and 2 knockout cup and narrowly lost by just 2 games.
Sue and Liz also competed in the Seniors Grass Court Championships at Wimbledon this year and managed to reach the quarter finals. The event is played on the Wimbledon practice courts but for reasons unknown to them they were offered show court 18 to play their quarter final match.
Some of you may remember this court as it is famous for the longest match in tennis history played between Isner and Mahut a few years ago.
On an individual note, Liz was selected as reserve for the England over 60s team for the 4 nations championships in May. 80 Phonebox Magazine
However, Sherrards Assassins held out well to win 17 – 14 and lift the Olney 7s Trophy for 2014.
Olney RFC, who had had both finalists in their pool, worked their way through the knockout stages of the plate to meet The Qube (fielding a large number of ON’ players) in the semi-final, winning 17 – 12, and Zoti Guns 7s in the final, winning 26 -22. It was good to see Ex-Olney player, Duncan Taylor (Scotland and Saracens) at
Sherrards Assassins won a convincing semi- final against CLIC Sargent Godfathers to take their place in the Olney 7s Trophy final. Their opponents Top She-Haggers had a narrow victory against Bedford Athletic in the quarter-final, winning 17 -14, and again against Shelford winning by one score, 24 – 17, in the semi-final. The final could have gone either way with two good early tries from the Assassins and Top She-Haggers coming back strongly in the second half.
Pictured above before the final, Sue Soul, Liz Murdoch, Felicia D’Amelio and Avril Tarry. Other team members include Angela Redgewell, Jenny Prior, Val Howes and Lucy Timms.
Opposite: Liz and Sue on court 18 with their opponents.