Youth Match Reports

…Memories Made, Laughs Shared, and Rugby Played

The weekend unfolded in classic rugby style: full of passion, camaraderie, and the odd questionable referee decision! Laughter echoed on and off the pitch, as the team brought their characteristic blend of grit and humour to every encounter.

Twelve teams from the Southeast of England competed fiercely for silverware, showcasing the best of youth rugby talent. The atmosphere was electric, with each match bringing its own set of thrills and spills.

West Norfolk U14’s played a total of seven games over the weekend, winning five of them. Their impressive performance led them to become the winners of the Plate, a testament to their hard work and determination. The team scored numerous tries, demonstrating their offensive prowess and strategic gameplay.

The rugby was relentless, thrilling, and unapologetically raw. West Norfolk U14’s showcased strong defensive lines and hard rucking, keeping the opposition at bay and demonstrating their resilience and tactical judgement. While the standout moments weren’t just on the field but in the bonds forged and strengthened. Friendships were solidified as the players supported each other through every high and low, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

But above all, it was rugby in its purest form: passion-fuelled games, indelible memories, and a team spirit that carried well beyond the pitch. The weekend was a celebration of youth rugby, where the scoreboard may fade, but the stories never will.

Gatehouse Lane roared to life as rugby fans witnessed an intense semi-final clash between West Norfolk U14s and Norwich Crusaders in the Norfolk County Cup. The air was thick with excitement as the visitors kicked off, but it was the home side who stole the spotlight early on.

West Norfolk wasted no time launching a powerful offensive. Their relentless pressure and sharp ball movement pinned the Crusaders deep in their own half. Amid this early dominance, West’s captain, Jack Godfrey-Leggett, showcased his game-changing instincts. Intercepting a pass mere yards from the try line, he darted over to score a crucial try, converted with precision by Ethan Kilian. The scoreboard lit up 7-0, and the battle was well and truly on.

With defensive brilliance from both teams, the match demanded something extraordinary to break the deadlock. That magic moment came from West’s Ben Taylor-Bunting, whose towering kick found the ever-alert Archie Thomson. In a display of athleticism and determination, Thomson read the bounce, caught it in stride at the halfway line, and powered through despite a last-ditch clip to his heel. His try was a crowd-pleaser, and Taylor-Bunting’s conversion doubled West’s lead.

The Crusaders, refusing to back down, capitalised on their persistence and teamwork to cross the line just before halftime, narrowing the gap to 14-5 and keeping their hopes alive.

The second half was a gripping contest, with both sides pushing boundaries. Yet, it was West’s Finley Smith-Parry who sealed the match’s decisive moment. Collecting a loose clearance kick, he surged forward with unstoppable intent to score, leaving the Crusaders in his wake. Kilian’s steady boot added the finishing touch, cementing a 21-5 victory.

As the final whistle blew, West Norfolk U14s celebrated their well-earned spot in the final, where they will face either Wymondham or North Walsham on Sunday 4th May at Gatehouse Lane. It was a day of passion, determination, and unforgettable rugby—a perfect showcase of the spirit of the sport.

West Norfolk Under-14s hosted Cambridge in an exhilarating match at Gatehouse Lane, showcasing grit and determination from both sides.

The action kicked off at 11 a.m. when Cambridge launched the game with their opening play. However, West’s Jack Godfrey-Leggett quickly stole the spotlight, embarking on a scintillating charge from deep within his own half. Evading the Cambridge defence with skill and precision, Godfrey-Leggett secured the first try of the match. Despite strong winds, Ethan Killian stepped up and confidently converted, giving West a 7-0 lead.

A returning hero for West, Ruairi Fitzgerald made his presence felt, causing chaos for the Cambridge defence. His hard work was rewarded with a well-deserved try, extending the home team’s advantage to 12-0.

Cambridge, however, responded with remarkable character and discipline. Sustained pressure on West’s backline eventually opened the door for a clever try, accompanied by a well-executed conversion. The first half concluded with West narrowly leading 12-7.

The second half began with all to play for. West made strategic changes from the bench, aiming to capitalise on their slim lead. They controlled possession effectively in Cambridge’s half until a loose ball allowed the visitors to break through. But West’s captain, Godfrey-Leggett, had other plans—he ripped the ball back and scored a stunning try between the posts, with Killian once again delivering a flawless conversion. The scoreboard read 19-7.

West Norfolk’s control and composure shone through as they sealed victory with an emphatic third try, courtesy of Godfrey-Leggett who converted his own effort. The score climbed to an unassailable 26-7.

Despite West’s dominance, Cambridge showed great resilience, crafting a well-earned try in the dying moments of the game. The final score: 26-12. A well-deserved triumph for West Norfolk.

On Remembrance Sunday, 10th November 2024, West Norfolk U13 travelled to Hethersett to take on Crusaders U13 under sunny skies. The teams and supporters observed a Remembrance silence before kick off, setting a respectful tone for the day.

Crusaders took early control, showing impressive ball movement and exploiting gaps to establish a 15-0 lead. However, West Norfolk soon settled into their rhythm, with Oscar Slingsby breaking through to score and put West on the scoreboard.

Building momentum, West began to gain territory. Toby Biggs and Toby Easter led with strong carries, pushing Crusaders back and setting a solid platform. Sam Wharton then found Slingsby in space for his second try, reducing the deficit. Crusaders hit back, catching West’s defence off guard and scoring from an attacking scrum to extend their lead.

Undeterred, West Norfolk launched a spirited comeback, using structured phase play and scrum dominance to great effect. The pack’s weight and strength in scrums gave West Norfolk an edge, helping them wear down their opponents. Lewis Symonds, together with Biggs and Easter, continued making metres while Alex Maule and Gabriel Ramos stretched the defence with their pace and footwork. The forwards also showed much-improved speed to the rucks, ensuring quick ball for their backs. Slingsby completed his hat-trick and added a fourth try shortly after.

In the second half, West’s defence was key, with Zach Swash making a crucial try-saving tackle to keep Crusaders from pulling ahead. With minutes to go, Crusaders managed a late try, edging ahead and setting up a tense finale. But West Norfolk’s scrum-half, Harry Pybus, had other ideas. A cheeky pick-and-go from close range brought the score level, keeping West’s hopes alive.

From the restart, Wharton’s perfectly placed grubber kick allowed Ben Janusauskis to gather and sprint in for the winning try, securing a dramatic 30-25 victory for West Norfolk.

Player of the Match: Ben Janusauskis

Supporters’ Player: Harry Pybus

Old Northamptonians were welcomed at Gatehouse Lane Sunday and stood with West Norfolk Teams to pay their respects during the remembrance Sunday two minutes silence.

Tensions were high with both sides battling for possession waiting for an opening.

West’s reputable front row fought hard creating chances for the home team to find a gap, and finally it came with West’s ever reliant powerhouse Jack Godfrey-Leggett who still had plenty to do in grabbing the first try for his team.

The Old Northamptonians kept pressing West but continued to be met by Ruairi Fitzgerald (man of the match) who covered all the flanks, slamming the door shut on the visitors. A change in personnel from the visitors was rewarded with a steal and a try to level up the scores 5-5.

Passion and raw emotion were on display with such a hard-fought contest between these teams and Godfrey-Leggett was on hand to go on a commanding run to settle the tensions for his side with an impressive try for Ben Taylor-Bunting to gratefully convert.

The contest did not let up and it was no surprise that the visitors came back again with a deserving try. With the game still in the balance, West’s boys stood strong blockading all the visitors’ efforts, and in amongst the chaos, Number 8, Theo Hobbs saw his chance and carved his way through the Old Northamptonians to score a super try for Ethan Killian to convert. Final score 19-10.

Thank you to our match sponsors this season JBC Roofing

West Norfolk’s U14s were given a treat fixture just down the road at Fakenham. Straight from the whistle, West did not shy away from the team’s debut clash with Fakenham, living up to expectations scoring an early try from Kody Somerton which Ben Taylor-Bunting converted.

Fakenham displayed good strength and were very committed to all of West’s challenges but found it difficult to spread the ball wide for a counter. With West being the dominant force with their frontline, it set the scene with West gathering possession, gifting the ball to the formidable back line lead by Jack Godfrey-Leggett who scored for Taylor-Bunting to convert making the score 14-0.

The home team tried organising their defence to cope with barrage from West for it only to be unstitched by a tantalising team try. Fast passing from a throw stretched Fakenham, only to see the back of Thomas Hardy’s studs. Taylor-Bunting got his hat trick of conversions.

While West were enjoying their success Fakenham punished them with a quick response scoring their first try.

A wake-up call for the travelling team and the return of Finley Smith-Parry was on hand to galvanise West’s status scoring a well fought run to the try line. Fakenham were resilient and fought hard in the rucks without much success and Godfrey-Leggett laid in wait for the pass so he could blast his way through, scoring again for Archie Thomson to convert.

Cracks began to show in the home sides defence which Hardy exploited scoring his second.

The game was all being played in the home sides half and it was only a matter of time before Theo Hobbs grabbed the ball and smashed his way through the crowd, getting the ball to ground to score before setting up his teammate Charlie Cooper for the conversion.

With 15 minutes remaining and West in full control, it enabled Thomson to play with freedom to glide past Fakenham, scoring a beautiful try.

A deserving try scored by Lincoln Auker was then scored from a commanding West scrum which Taylor Bunting converted.

Although this felt like the final nail in the coffin, a Fakenham kick was caught by Ethan Kilian in his own half and he sprinted past a spellbound home team, delivering the try with style.

Scores for the thirds, 5-26, 0-19 and 0-19.

Thanks to our match shirt sponsors JBC Roofing.

West away at Diss turned up looking fierce and wasted no time applying pressure on the home side, quick hands and dominant rucking gave way for Theo Hobbs to clean up, scoring early with Ethan Kilian converting.

Diss struggled to steady West and Jack Godfrey-Leggett took advantage, stampeding his way through the home team’s defence. The conversion skilfully taken made the score 0-14.

Although West had control of the game, a missed pass gifted Diss a steal which they capitalised on converting a try to bring the scores to 7-14.

A frustrated West were seeking redemption and the ever-reliant class of Archie Thomson had Diss in a spin and clear of their defence, finishing the move by selflessly passing to Killian to put the ball down between the posts, with Ben Taylor-Bunting converting to edge West further ahead.

Just before the half time break, Godfrey-Leggett got the ball in his own half and charged down the wing, scoring his second try to bring the scores to 7-26 in the visitors’ favour.

Coming back into the second half, West opened the play with Jamie Wright becoming a real nuisance to the home side and running in an excellent try, which Taylor-Bunting again converted to put West in a solid lead – 7-33.

West’s continued possession saw Simon Rodrigues put a blistering run through the home side, puncturing their defence and enabling him to ground the ball dead centre in the posts, and again seeing his teammate Taylor-Bunting to convert effortlessly.

Diss showed great character towards the end of the game, displaying some heroics in and around the rucks but unfortunately for them Charlie Cook’s jackling was immense, shutting down all of the Diss teams hopes.

Two more tries for the visiting team came from Godfrey-Leggett and Jamie Wright for Killian to convert, finishing with an impressive win to West, at 7-54.

In their second match of the season, U16 West Norfolk RUFC secured a 22-29 victory away against Diss. The game, played under the autumn sunshine, saw West Norfolk dominate the first half, building an early lead through some excellent attacking play.  The visitors wasted no time, with Robin Woodcock opening the scoring, followed closely by Edward Shuardson and Fraser Pick. This early surge of points put West Norfolk in a strong position, and they went into the halftime break with a significant lead.

However, Diss showed remarkable resilience despite the constant pressure and did not allow their heads to drop when facing a large deficit. The home side’s determination paid off in the second half, as they launched a spirited comeback, scoring a series of tries as West Norfolk began to tire with no substitutes to call on. The introduction of fresh legs from Diss’s substitutes however brought renewed energy to their attack and helped narrow the gap on the scoreboard.

Even as Diss pressed hard, West Norfolk found a way to keep ahead. Another try from Fraser Pick and a brilliant solo effort by James Shorthouse ultimately secured the win for the visitors. Shorthouse’s try, in particular, was a standout moment, showcasing his pace and determination.

The match was a thrilling contest, played in great spirit by both sides. After the final whistle, players and coaches from both teams came together to celebrate a well-contested battle over lunch, reflecting on what was an excellent display of youth rugby.

West Norfolk can take great confidence from this performance, especially their commanding first-half display and resistance when under pressure, while Diss’s late rally demonstrated their character and determination.

Sunday morning saw the West Norfolk U14s head to North Walsham for one of the season’s biggest clashes.The home side looked well organised and strong from kick off, applying immediate pressure in all areas of the field. While West sank deep into their own half, they relied heavily on the front line to settle the team, but North Walsham took advantage of the early possession and converted a well-deserved try.

Opportunities for West kept coming but the home side took another try, putting them further in front.  Great spirit within West’s camp ultimately saw them execute a brilliant all-round team move, setting Kody Somerton on his way to a superb try between the sticks, converted by Ben Taylor Bunting to end the half at 12-7.

West came into the second half full of confidence, with an attacking Jack Godfrey-Leggett going on a charging run to within yards of North Walsham try line, with the home team doing well to hold up both him and his mauling teammates but conceding a penalty in the process. The kick was awarded to West and neatly slotted over by Ben Taylor Bunting, bringing the scores closer at 12-10.

North Walsham, not fazed by West’s second half response, came straight back with another try to inch further ahead at 17-10.

The match suddenly became more open, with both sides exploiting each other’s defence and setting both teams up for end-to-end action. There was vocal appreciation from the travelling supporters when Simon Rodrigues got his hands on the ball on the halfway line and flew down the wing to score, taking West within a whisker of North Walsham at 17-15.

The home side kept applying pressure with great passing movements and stretched West, resulting in a breakaway run down the wing to score, regaining a comfortable lead.

With the game still in the balance, West looked like they were going to make a comeback and win when Ethan Killian scored a breathtaking try with five minutes left on the clock, but the home side took the sting out of the game by regaining possession and kicking down field. Final score saw North Walsham take the win with 24-20.

Thanks to our shirt sponsors JBC Roofing. #UptheWest

West Norfolk Rugby U14s were on the road again this weekend kicking off the new season away at Wymondham. The fixture is always a great test for these two teams and the match provided plenty of action, as well as being a real treat for the spectators.

West kicked off and maintained possession deep in Wymondham’s half and showed no signs of backing off, which inevitably resulted in a formidable run from Jack Godfrey-Legget to open up the scoring 5-0.

Charlie Cooper continued causing chaos breaking down any form response from the hosts which lead him to snatch a try, but was fouled in the process from a high tackle and rewarded with a penalty try putting West in-front 12-0.

The home side responded positively scoring and converting two tries, taking the lead 14-12. With tensions rising, tactical changes were needed from West, giving Ben Taylor-Bunting the opportunity to open up the defence scoring an impressive try and conversion putting his team back in front, 19-14.

Yet again the heroic efforts from the home side paid off with an excellent run levelling up the scores 19-19. West Norfolk’s new summer signing Simon Rodrigues with great pace and power taking control of the game scoring a try which was quickly converted by Ben Taylor-Bunting putting the away team back in front 26-19.

With 20 minutes remaining, it was all still to play for and the home side started to crank up the attack, scoring and converting to make it 26-26. Although neck and neck throughout the match, West’s forwards were dominant all day, consistently maintaining possession with impressive scrummaging, rucking and tackling paving the way for Rodrigues to edge West in-front one more time 31-26.

A lapse in concentration from the visitors gifted the home side a try to equalise, but with Wymondham unable to convert saw the scores back at a level 31-31. West’s bench reacted with some quick changes regaining control of the game, paying off with a stunning run from Kody Somerton who scored a try in the corner to take West ahead to 36-31.

Although the scores were balanced throughout the match, West always looked confident and comfortable in possession, with this best emulated by Ethan Killian’s emphatic run from deep inside Wests half scoring and converting the final try ending the game 43-31.

Man of the match – Dexter Anderson.

Norwich rugby club hosted an action-packed day of rugby with the annual county youth 10s tournament.

Two U14 teams from West Norfolk Rugby Club, sponsored by JBC Roofing, took part and put on a prominent display of an expanding squad with their new summer signings.

West’s 2 sides, team 1 the Sharks and team 2 the Wolves, each competed in 4 15-minute matches against teams from Holt, Beccles, Crusaders, Fakenham and hosts Norwich.

The Sharks went head-to-head with Norwich and controlled the game from an explosive start and the hosts respectively fought back and snatched a brace just before the final whistle ending with west winning 6-2.

Wolves from west were up next to face Norwich and capitalised on the home team’s previous defeat and went all out on the offensive finishing with an impressive 9-0 win.

Strong performances from both of West’s teams all day with the Sharks only conceding 7 tries and the Wolves 3 tries across all matches.

West U14s were victorious and were very well supported by the team’s proud travelling fans.

Try scorers were Kody Somerton (4), Jack Godfrey-Legget (5), William Lloyd, Ethan Kilian (3), Kelvin Jasionis, Thomas Hardy, Ben Taylor-Bunting (3) Ash Thompson, Ruairi Fitzgerald, Isaac Robinson, Theo Hobbs (3), Harry Martin (4), Simon Rodrigues (2), Harry Dickerson, Archie Thomson (3)

The team would like to thank this season’s match shirt sponsors, JBC Roofing.

Sunday 19th November, 2023 

West Norfolk Rugby Club welcomed a wide range of Youth Girls from U12-U16 age groups to play at a ‘Pitch Up and Play’ day on Sunday, aimed at encouraging participation in rugby for those girls who may never have played, as well as showcasing existing teams and their skills.

Lots of volunteer coaches and support from the Boys Youth U15 squad enabled numerous matches to be played across all of the Club’s pitches over a two hour period, with representation from local King’s Lynn schools and other rugby clubs across the Eastern Counties. Competitive and spirited games were played by all, with a friendly and inclusive atmosphere that saw new players being cheered on and supported by the more experienced team members, demonstrating the key rugby values of Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship (TREDS) at all times.

The first of its kind for West Norfolk, Youth Girls Head Coach Ellen Collison said “Seeing all these young women come together to take part in a sport that can sometimes be perceived as being too rough for girls, and absolutely loving both the sport and the friendship they discover on the pitch, is so rewarding and shows that all Clubs have a really important role in building a clear future for girls in rugby. No-one should ever feel that they can’t take part – rugby is inclusive and has a place for everyone.”

With the West Norfolk Warriors (Womens’ 1st XV) taking to the pitch immediately after the end of the girls’ event, the home Youth girls offered to form a guard of honour to clap the senior players onto the pitch, ending the 2023 PUAP event on a high. 

Photography credits – Ed Navrady