Vectis RFC’s youngest stars powered through relentless rain and waterlogged pitches to deliver a series of dominant displays at the New Milton Festival on Sunday.
Despite some of the muddiest conditions seen this season, Vectis’ Under 7s, Under 10s and Under 11s turned in high-energy performances packed with tactical maturity and grit – drawing praise from opposition coaches and spectators alike. Back on the Island, other squads continued training, with the Vectis girls embracing the elements to sharpen their tackling skills.
UNDER 10S: A ‘CRACKING’ PERFORMANCE
The Under 10s fielded 2 teams – Vectis 1 and Vectis 2 – both handling the swamp-like conditions with impressive composure.
Each side played 4 matches before worsening pitch conditions forced the festival to be called off early.
Vectis 2, coached by Steve Keyzor and Gary Ball, secured a 7–0 clean sheet in their opening fixture and showed real resilience throughout the day, finishing with a win and a hard-fought draw. Casey Rees was named Player of the Tournament for exceptional support play.
Vectis 1, under Allan Bridges, were utterly dominant – winning every match, including a commanding 12–0 victory over Tottonians.
Lilly-Mae Blair produced the moment of the day, collecting the ball in her own half before breaking 3 tackles and sprinting down the wing for a sensational individual try. She was deservedly named Vectis 1 Player of the Tournament.
Coach Allan Bridges said:
“The effort level blew away every team that stood across from us. A New Milton coach even made a point of commenting that we were a cracking team.”
UNDER 11S: TACTICAL MASTERY IN THE RAIN
Led by Ed Lynch, the Under 11s demonstrated how winter training pays dividends.
Across 4 consecutive games with high rotation, the squad showed impressive tactical awareness, particularly in defence.
Vectis were the only side at the festival to successfully deploy tactical kicking to exit their own 22 under pressure – repeatedly shifting territory and forcing opposition errors.
Ed Newton earned Player of the Day for his consistent all-round performance in both attack and defence. Frank Judd’s powerful ball carrying provided go-forward momentum, while Bjørn Slabber proved a force at the breakdown, securing crucial turnovers.
Coach Ed Lynch said:
“A standout performance from the whole squad in tough conditions. Training in similar weather last Sunday definitely gave us the confidence we needed today. Well done everyone.”
UNDER 7S: FUTURE STARS BRAVE THE ELEMENTS
The club’s youngest representatives, the Under 7s, showed heart and determination in extremely challenging conditions.
Coach Nick McCall praised the squad’s “fun and positive” attitude as they battled a waterlogged pitch, focusing on core skills and teamwork. For such a young age group, their coordination and willingness to work together stood out.
The U7s will continue to develop their ball-carrying and passing skills in upcoming sessions.
Poor tough little sods, look at the state of them. Professional sportsman earning £thousands a game get rained off and these little hero’s ploughed on. Lucky they don’t catch their death.