Youth beats experience

Youth won over experience on the touch field when the open men’s and women’s touch rugby grand finals were played at the Swamp on Monday night.

The youthful TSL Rookies team, sprinkled with a couple of national players, were crowned the queens of women’s touch rugby when they outran the Bounty Hunters team of experienced national players.

The match went down to the wire with a draw at the end of the match forcing a ‘drop off’ format to determine the winner.

Again the game came to a 2-all draw and as the clocked ticked over – players dropped off the field leaving a smaller team to battle it out.

Then Moana Taio of the TSL Rookies caught the Bounty Hunters unawares and dashed for the line to dot down the winning try for the Rookies.

The Bounty Hunters were so close yet so far with the sprightly Rookies snatching the 2010 open women’s title.

In the men’s finals between the Vikings and Oda Rebels – things were more clear cut.

The Vikings dominated the men’s competition this year and they dominated the finals match to take home the trophy after beating the tenacious Oda Rebels 4.

Team Rama took out third place in the men’s team and the Vixens edged out the FBI ladies for third place.

Meanwhile today the mixed touch ruby competition will be played out this evening at the Avatiu field with winners of the semis to head to the grand finals on Monday March 29.

Mixed draw - 5pm (on field one) playoff Klasix vs Roxz (5th and 6th playoff), 5pm (on field two) No Names vs Club Raro (7th and 8th playoff), 5.35pm Marekos vs Rama (semi final), 6.10pm Vikings vs 007 (semi final)