14-05-2025
Birkmyre bring home Helensburgh rugby sevens crown for second year in a row
BIRKMYRE Rugby Club retained their Helensburgh Sevens title in style on Saturday, going through their group and knockout matches undefeated to lift the trophy for the second year in a row.
In the opening match they found themselves up against the host club, but showed no mercy in front of a big home crowd by dishing out a 50-5 thrashing.
After a break, next up for the Bears was a youthful Glasgow Caledonian University team who had also won their first match by a thumping margin, 59-5.
(Image: Contributed) It looked like being a close contest, but three early scores put the Kilmacolm men in control, and though Caley came back into it in the second half, Birkmyre were too strong and finished up 24-5 winners.
The quarter-final saw Birkmyre drawn against a 'rugby legends' side made up of Helensburgh old boys, and in the battle of youth against experience, the Myre's young legs proved too quick and fit for their rivals, with the Bears casting aside their opponents by a 40-5 margin.
(Image: Contributed) The semi-final pitched Birkmyre against the 'Pink Fairy Armadillos', most of them students at Heriot Watt University, and for the first time in the competition the Kilmacolm side were put on the back foot after conceding straight from the kick-off.
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But Birkmyre bounced back and pulled the score back within a minute of the restart, and in an entertaining clash, with plenty of good skills on display, the youthful Kilmacolm team once again proved too strong and emerged winners with a final score of 29-12.
(Image: Contributed) A long day saw the final kick off at 5.50pm, with Birkmyre facing an Earlston side who had travelled all the way from Berwickshire for the competition.
The final was highly competitive, and got a little heated at times, with one of the Earlston players receiving a yellow card for hitting a jumper in the air - on another day, it could easily have been a red, with Birkmyre's Callum Moglia landing dangerously close to his neck.
Birkmyre took the lead, but Earlston replied with a try of their own, and the final continued in a similar vein, with Birkmyre always having their noses just in front.
(Image: Contributed)
Birkmyre retained their Helensburgh title with victory over Earlston in the final. (Image: Contributed) With very little time on the clock, Birkmyre led by five points, with Earlston knowing a converted try would seal the victory; however, as the clock went red, the Bears' opponents were penalised for a high tackle on Finlay Reynar, which again could have easily seen a yellow.
No card was brandished, but David Cruickshank tapped the resulting penalty, before launching the ball over the stand to ensure the win.
Birkmyre will be in sevens action again this Saturday, May 17, when they travel to West of Scotland Rugby Club where they will take on Lenzie, Allan Glens and Strathclyde University in the group stages.
