The Lazybugs and Polish Barbarians sides before the Womens 7s final for the Rhino Trophy.
For the sixth consecutive year Rhino was recently a headline sponsor of the Piotrowice Nyskie International Rugby Festival. Hosted by English expatriate Jim Parton and his Polish wife Anna in the grounds of their 14th century estate in Polish Silesia, the festival has developed into one of Europe’s leading grass roots social rugby events.
Vienna Celtic receive the Spitfire Trophy for Most Social Team.
In addition to the mainstream entrants in the Mens and Womens 7s and Mens 15s, the event also features ‘Polish Barbarians’ sides in all of those tournaments to enable individuals and small groups to turn up and participate, and this year those sides finished runners up in each of the categories. In the Womens Sevens, the Lazybugs invitation side from the Czech Republic won the Rhino Trophy for the second time, having previously won in 2013. In the Mens 7s Brno Bystrc won for the second year in succession to retain the ID&C Trophy, and in the Mens 15s Vienna Celtic took the RugbyPolska.pl Trophy in a hard fought final game.
Serafina Parton packs down against her father.
The prestigious Spitfire Trophy, donated by beer sponsors Shepherd Neame for the Most Social Side was won by Vienna Celtic, and the Tournament MVP for the Gonga Rugby Trophy went to veteran Paul Harris of Old Caterhamians, who takes in the tournament each year whilst on holiday with his Polish wife and family, and was once more a mainstay of the Polish Barbarians throughout.
Anna Parton presents the Rhino Trophy for the Womens 7s to the Lazybugs.
A highlight of this year’s event was the entry into the Mens Sevens of Prague Olymp, a club recently formed and captained by veteran Czech international Jan Macháček (a former Sale, Pontypridd, Newport and Clermont Auvergne player) consisting largely of players who had started playing rugby within the last 6 months. The team did themselves proud, improving throughout and running Vienna Celtic close in their final game. Their participation epitomised the spirit of the festival and produced the milestone moment of a full Barbarians player for the first time playing for the Polish Barbarians, when Macháček guested for them in the Mens 15s final. New Tournament Director from 2017, Satoshi Takehana, is proposing to take the Polish Barbarians on tour to Japan for the Rugby World Cup in 2019 – watch this space!
The Tournament Committee with trophies. |
Vienna Celtic defeat Polish Barbarians in Mens 15s. |
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