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Having been postponed last year teams had two years’ worth of rugby to makeup and anticipation was high. Thanks to the support of our sponsors and the fantastic organization from the host Beijing rugby team it was a sensational weekend!
Come Saturday morning, perhaps operating on too little sleep, the teams rose early to make their way to the stunning pitches at Jujia Stadium in Daxing. Any tiredness was soon forgotten once the first hit went in and the teams began competing for one of the coveted trophies.
Every Rugby tournament has an element of fierce competition and a few knocks are expected along the way. The teams were all grateful for the assistance and care of the medical staff from Beijing United Family Hospital. (Nothing like applying the magic sponge when needed!) As well as the assistance of Asian Tigers Group and Asian Risk Management Services for their invaluable help in putting on this event.
Teams looked to make early headway in the groups. One extremely competitive women’s group, the Hangzhou Harlequeens, made a big impact and host team the Aardvarks made impressive strides. Over on the men’s side, the Suzhou Late Knights used their power to good effect and The Beijing Devils used some acrobatic play which had Rugby nerds everywhere asking, can a ball carrier jump into a tackle?
Ultimately in the Ladies final, the Beijing Ducks managed to dig deep in a ferocious final to take the whole competition, whilst in the Men’s competition a strong scrum and massive hits from the Beijing Aardvarks were not enough to stop the silky lines of the Shanghai Silver Dragons from winning the men’s tournament.
“That was an amazing weekend!” says Emily of the Xiamen Typhoons. “Thank you to everyone who organized and hosted and came out. Deffo not a tournament to be missed!”
Images courtesy of the 2021 Beijing Rugby Tournament
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