CONGRATULATIONS to our 2s who retained the Bateman BMW Premiership title by beating Fylde on Saturday.

Facing the two sides who had defeated us early in the season, our boys easily overcame Manchester 69-10 on Wednesday evening before completing their season with a much tougher game against Fylde.

Although Sedgley were first onto the scoreboard with a penalty goal, an interception try gave Fylde an early lead. Our pack was in complete control at the scrums, and putting pressure on the Fylde line-out also, but the visitors showed speed of thought, quick handling, and plenty of running pace to make the most of limited and retreating possession.

But gradually we wore them down, a couple of tries before half-time, and the game was ours midway through the second half. 46-17 at the final whistle.

It’s not yet quite the end of the season for our 3s. They won 43-25 at Bolton and will finish in 5th place in the Miller Homes Division 3 North if they can beat Pendle 1s next week. Otherwise we are assured of 6th place in a league that has been won by Littleborough 2s.

Our 4s have ended the season strongly. On Saturday we beat Colne & Nelson 34-0 to finish in 5th place in Division 5 East.

Our senior teams can look back on the 2008-09 season with some pride.

Not only have the 2s won the title, they have played some beautiful rugby in doing so, and several players have made the transition to the 1s without apparent difficulty.

The 3s play a stylish game of running rugby with a team full of home-grown players, many of them young. Our 4s have benefited from the improving standards, and the bad old days of struggling for a full side seem to be behind us. It’s a nice mixture of youth and the ‘more mature man’.

And so, for me, the season is over. I know there are still games going on. This is the time of year when tours take place. There is the Bottom Trophy at stake down in Kent and a trip to Geordie-land too, I believe, and the Junior teams are still playing matches. Nuneaton played our under 16s on Sunday, for example. Long may this touring tradition continue!