Hoppers under 9s continued their magnificent record at the Vale Of Lune festival by retaining the trophy they won last year.
A squad of twelve players made the short trip north, some of whom were experiencing festival rugby for the very first time, and progressed from the group stage with three handsome victories to set up a mouthwatering quarter final against local rivals Fylde.
A very tight affair ensued, with Hoppers edging it 2-1, it was an outstanding game with some great rugby played by both teams. The semi final against Kirkby Lonsdale resulted in a nerve-jangling 4-4 draw with Hoppers progressing to the final by virtue of scoring one more try in the group stage!
After a ten minute rest to refuel, the boys lined up against a strong team from Warrington and produced a heroic display of tackling and some wonderful attacking rugby to storm to a 4-2 victory.
Every single squad member played their part in what was a great day, but I think that if a player scores a hat-trick of tries in a final he certainly deserves a mention – so, stand up and take a bow Mr James “Johnny” Wilkinson!
The whole team were a credit to themselves, their parents and to Preston Grasshoppers – opposition coaches and supporters alike were all very complimentary.
