Southwold U21s travelled to Ipswich RFC on Sunday 28th to compete in the annual Under 21s tournament alongside Sudbury, Ipswich and Woodbridge. Having lifted the Hancock Trophy last year, Wold were keen to put in another strong showing — and once again did the club proud.

The tournament followed a round-robin format of 25-minute matches, followed by a final and third-place play-off.

Southwold opened their campaign against Sudbury, controlling the set piece superbly from the outset. Dominant scrummaging and accurate lineouts provided the platform for two well-worked tries from Sam Emms and Matt Rodwell. Sudbury responded with a try of their own to close the gap, but Wold managed the game well to secure a hard-fought 10–7 victory.

The second match against Woodbridge proved a different challenge, with uncontested scrums limiting Southwold’s usual forward dominance. Wold struck first through Elliot Waters before Woodbridge replied. A powerful carry from prop Will Lamprell saw him storm through the middle to restore the lead at 10–5, but Woodbridge responded again to take a narrow 12–10 advantage into half-time.

After the break, Southwold found their rhythm and produced an excellent attacking display, running in four unanswered tries through Sam Emms, Ben Woodruff, Louie Mayall and Theo Kenny to claim a convincing 24–12 win.

The final pool match against hosts Ipswich saw Southwold start quickly, racing into a 12–0 lead with tries from Will Lamprell and a hugely popular score from Sam Woodruff, playing his first game in 18 months following knee reconstruction and showing all his trademark power and pace. Ipswich struck just before the break to make it 12–5.

In the second half, Sam Emms crossed again for Southwold, but Ipswich responded with two scores of their own to edge a tight contest 19–15.

That set up a final rematch with Sudbury. This time it was Sudbury who started fastest, keeping the ball alive and taking quick tap penalties to build a 12–0 lead. Southwold responded through captain Dom Hailey, whose powerful finish reduced the deficit to 12–7 at half-time.

The second half was all Southwold pressure. Wave after wave of attack battered the Sudbury line, and with the very last play of the tournament, Max Nicholls powered over to level the scores. The conversion narrowly missed, leaving the final drawn — enough for Southwold to lift the Hancock Trophy for the second consecutive year.

Beyond the silverware, these tournaments play a vital role in keeping Southwold connected with players away at university or working elsewhere, and the commitment, camaraderie and quality on display reflected everything the club stands for.

Congratulations to all involved on another outstanding achievement.

Arn the Wold!