TTRFU 2019 Sevens Series
HARVARD finished third at Sunday's close of the TT International Sevens Tournament, a result which was good enough to see them finish as the overall winners of the TT Rugby Football Union (TTRFU) Sevens Series.
The two-day event, which was the fifth and final leg od the series, was also hosted by Harvard at St Mary's College Ground, St Clair. Northern placed first in the tournament to claim 16 points, following a narrow 7-5 victory over Rainbow Sports and Culture club in Sunday's men's cup final.
Despite their last-ditched efforts, Northern closed their account down the pack in fifth place, amassing only 47 points from a possible 80.
Harvard were the most consistent team over five legs, finishing with a handsome 64-point total, eight points better than the series runner-up, Caribs. Harvard previously finished second, first, third and fourth in the preceding legs.
Caribs started the series as hosts and claimed full points before dropping down the standings after finishing seventh in the second leg. Caribs were the only team to win two legs, claiming victory in the third. However, a fifth place finish in the fourth leg again saw them lose precious points.
There was one other leg scheduled – the Police Sevens Tournament – but it was cancelled because the service members were called for duty in the recent local government election.
Finishing behind tournament champs and runner-up, Harvard and Caribs, were Rainbow in third with 52 points and Royalians (49 points) and Northern (47 points) in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Meanwhile, the women's competition, as it did throughout the series, featured a round-robin format with only three teams.
Defence Force, winners of the first two of four legs, entered the final day with a six-point lead and finished champions with 46-point total, after winning their two matches against Harvard (17-12) and Royalians (17-5).
Harvard, the day's runners-up, also placed second overall finishing on 38 points, followed by Royalians on 30 points. Police, the undisputed powerhouses in local women's rugby in recent years, withdrew from the tournament after playing just one leg and finished fourth with five points.
The series-closing tournament started on Saturday with competition in the boys' Under-16 and Under-18, as well as the girls' Under-18.
Eight teams featured in the Boys U-18 competition. In the end, Northern won the cupfinal, defeating Caribs, 19-14. The result saw Northern, which trailed Caribs by a single point heading into the weekend, overtake their rivals to claim the title. It was a disappointing end for Caribs, who won three out of the five legs. Northern ended on 42 points overall, followed by Caribs (41), Rydeus (26), Royalians (25) and Harvard (23).
The U-16 series only featured three legs, the first two of which were won by Rydeus. Despite ending third in the last leg, Rydeus held on to finish as overall winners with 26 points, followed by Caribs and Supreme Squad, both of which finished on 18 points.
Supreme Squad won the cup with a 19-14 victory over Northern. They also finished second in the first leg but did not compete in the second, missing a vital chance to compete for the title.
Northern, the runners-up, finished fourth overall with 14 points.
In the girls' U-18 series, San Juan were already declared winners leading to the final leg and finished second on Saturday to close on 38 points. Royalians, who won the leg and Harvard tied for second with 22 points.
There were prizes awarded for the successful clubs, with the top two men's teams winning $3,500 and $2,000.
In the women's tournament, the winners received $2,000 and the runners-up, $1,200.
The sevens series brought a close to the rugby season. However, there are several unofficial events scheduled before the end of the month, including Harvard's Old vs Young Competition on December 21 and the Trinidad Enthusiasts Santa Claus Run on December 22.