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The 52nd Guinness Pock Sevens once again produced a bumper day on Good Friday, with Ronin Impact beating surprise package, Malton & Norton, to lift the Fowler Trophy.

The forecasted rain held off until late in the day, and almost 3,000 rugby enthusiasts packed into Percy Road for the event.

In the gathering gloom Malton & Norton had thoughts of another upset as they got the first score in the main final, but Ronin’s sevens’ guile then came to the fore as they pulled clear before Malton grabbed the last score to make it 26-12.

Ronin included the remarkable Lee Denham in their squad, a player who has now won the Pock Sevens nine times. Denham, the former Leeds Carnegie and Army forward, had his first success with the Impalas in 1993, going on to two further victories with Impalas and also lifting the trophy with Pocklington, Hull and Otley.

The win kick-starts Ronin’s 2010 campaign with their busiest season yet ahead of them.

Earlier in the day Malton & Norton had provided the day’s biggest upset when they put out the holders, Fiji Covenant Brothers, 26-21 in the semis.

Malt caught the Fijians cold to run in the first two scores. The Fijians then pulled it back to 21-21 before Malton & Norton got a last gasp breakaway to win it. Ronin reached the final thanks to a massive gesture of sportsmanship from the Guisborough based KS Crusaders.

Gracious gesture

The Crusaders qualified for the semis by putting out students, Harper Adams, 22-12 and were due to meet the winner of the Ronin v Sedbergh quarter final. But that game was marred by a Ronin player breaking his leg in the dying seconds, and KS Crusaders conceded their scheduled semi to allow the Ronin players to stay on the pitch to support their stricken teammate until an ambulance arrived.

There were numerous cliffhangers in both the main tournament and the plate competition. Hull Ionians Colts beat Goole in the first round but were unlucky to come up against Fiji in top form in their next game. Ionians other side lost out to a lively Sedbergh side then went out of the plate in a high scoring game against Selby.

Hull who had former international Superleague players Motu Tony and Tevita Vaikona in their ranks, were defeated by York in their first game but the Humbersiders then ran away with the plate, pulling clear in the final against Selby to win the Herring Shield 40-10.

At the start of the day an inaugural women competition saw York RI Old Girls romp to a 34-0 over Hull to win the Hardy Cup.

The 2010 Guinness Pock Sevens

First Round
Goole 19 Hull Ionians Colts 29; Malton and Norton 41 Edinburgh University 5; York Cavaliers 12 Sheffield Medics 35: Boston 5 Harper Adams 29; Brookfield 45 Ipswich Exiles 0; Sedbergh SP 22 Selby 17;

Second Round
York 24 Hull 10; Hull Ionians Colts 5 Fiji Covenant Brothers 31; Malton & Norton 29 Driffield 5; Sheffield Medics 33 Pocklington 12; Brookfield 12 KS Crusaders 27; York Colts 0 Ronin 20; Sedbergh SP 22 Hull Ionians 12;

Quarter-Finals
Malton & Norton 28 Sheffield Medics 17; York 5 Fiji Covenant Brothers 34; Harper Adams 12 KS Crusaders 22; Ronin 28 Segbergh SP 12;

Semi Finals
Fiji Covenant Brothers 21 Malton & Norton 26; KS Crusaders ceded to Ronin;

Final
Malton & Norton 12 Ronin 26;

Plate Competition
Hull 34 Goole 7; York Cavaliers 26 Pocklington 22; Boston 10 York Colts 32; Selby 29 Hull Ionians 14;
 

Semi Finals
Hull 40 York Cavaliers 0; York Colts 0 Selby 5;

Final
Hull 40 Selby 10.

Womens Competition Final
York RI OG 34 Hull 0