Under 7's v Wellingborough

The day of our first match finally arrived. The excitement and nerves were obvious, but less about the parents & coaches and more about the players. They couldn't wait to get their Kettering shirts on and get playing.

Wellingborough made us very welcome and as a result we had a joint warm up session. Unfortunately they had nearly a third of the number of players we had, so the number of matches each player had was reduced. This didn't seem to dampen their mood and entered into training or playing with great gusto. It was a delight to watch the children putting to practice what they've learnt. There were some great runs, both direct and weaving. Shock and delight on the faces of those that scored their first try "ever" was a picture. They couldn't have done this without the steadfast support of their team mates.

The results don't do justice to how well we played; drew 1, lost 5. Most losses were by just one point. What we have to remember is that this was their third match and only our first.

I must say the way both sides mixed at the end of each match was great. I have never seen such enthusiastic handshakes. Well done also to both sides for the way they patiently handed back their tags to the opposing player. Our morning was ideally rounded off with "sharks & fishes" and hotdogs.

Myself and the coaches would like to say how proud we are of the team and are looking forward to watching you develop over the coming season. Keep up the good work.