It was an early start for everyone involved as our scheduled "away" match switched from their "too hard" grounds to Vizards, with the boys arriving for warm-ups at the rather unsociable hour of 7.50am! Thankfully, the players weren't the only ones putting in the hard yards. A huge shout-out goes to the fabulous ladies who arrived bright and early to set up a food and drink stall, keeping everyone fuelled and watered at a venue without its own catering facilities. Absolute legends!

After a focused warm-up that built to a crescendo ahead of kick-off, the Vikings caught their Bromley opponents napping, crossing the try line within the opening minutes. And that was just the beginning!

The forwards came out firing, with Callum making some beastly runs that put Bromley firmly on the back foot, while Ned delivered some important early crunching tackles to set the tone. The Vikings weren't just winning the physical battle, though; out wide, the backs were causing all sorts of problems with their twinkly toes and abundance of gas.

Olly proved to be a thorn in Bromley's side throughout the first half, finding space and making the most of the opportunities that came his way. Cody picked up where Olly left off after the break, continuing to trouble the opposition defence with some excellent attacking play. The Vikings' attacking intent was clear for all to see, with tries coming from Sam, Callum, Olly, Cody and Ethan W in a hugely productive first half. The boys carried that momentum into the second half, with Olly striking again just a minute after the restart, before further tries from Peter, Sacha and Cody rounded off an impressive scoring performance.

A special mention also goes to Ned for his fearless tackling, Callum for his powerful carries, and Ethan W for finishing off the hard work with a well-taken try. Sam, Peter and Sacha all made valuable contributions too, while the whole squad showed great energy, commitment and support for one another from the first whistle to the last. Every player played their part in a brilliant team effort.

The first-half officiating was sublime, allowing the game to flow beautifully. A firmer line was taken by the official in the second half, giving the boys another challenge to adapt to as the match progressed.

Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the morning, however, was the way the Vikings played. They kept their shape well, showed great discipline in their structure and executed the moves they'd been working on throughout pre-season. It was fantastic to see all that hard work translate onto the pitch when it mattered.

An excellent result, a great team performance and a hugely encouraging start to league rugby for the TJ Vikings U13s. The boys should be proud of themselves — and with this level of teamwork and attacking intent, there's plenty to look forward to this season!

Try Time! ?
First Half
2 mins – Sam
4 mins – Callum
5 mins – Olly
8 mins – Olly
13 mins – Cody
15 mins – Cody
24 mins – Ethan W
Second Half
1 min – Olly
22 mins – Peter
25 mins – Sacha
28 mins – Cody

A massive well done to all the boys, and a huge thank you to the ladies who helped make the morning run so smoothly. What a way to start the league campaign!

The Vikings' attacking intent was clear for all to see, with tries coming from Sam, Callum, Olly, Cody and Etha