The ERGS senior squad of 25 had trained all year for a shot at avenging last year’s narrow 9-8 defeat to Erne Integrated College.
The qualifying performance had meant that it was to be ERGS v Royal School Armagh (RSA) in the showpiece final at the Kingspan.
The 14 selected for the day set off from Enniskillen and enjoyed the home Ulster changing rooms and a concentrated warm up on the Kingspan turf. The weather was windy but thankfully dry.
The girls had been asked by their coaches to be the fittest, the most skilful, the most competitive and to have the team spirit that would hold them together in pressured moments. They showed every single item of these as they quashed the early pressure applied to them by a strong RSA team and the strong wind in their faces. The ERGS girls had also been challenged by their coaches to win each quarter and that’s exactly what they did. They won the first quarter 3-0 followed by a close win of the second quarter 2-1, leaving the half time score 5-1 in their favour.
With renewed vigour and with all players getting a good amount of game time, the girls then won quarter three by a score of 2-0. Armagh then got a final consolation try before ERGS ran in three more tries, winning the final 10-2. An awesome performance at the highest level of Ulster Girls” School 7s.
What was achieved today can only be put down to the immense hard work and dedication of a 25 girl squad and not just the 14 on the pitch today. The squad as a whole just never know when to quit and their appetite for instruction is commendable. All 25 deserved to be on that pitch today but for the 14 that represented them at Kingspan, you did your school, families and yourselves very proud.
Coaches thoughts immediately turn to how they go about retaining the trophy but there is the small matter of the Irish National Championships in late April to focus on. The coaches have targeted a strong performance in it as well this season.
As a warm up, literally, before that, the whole Senior girls squad go to Valencia on the 3rd April to tour a number of clubs in that area.
A fine reward for all their hard work through the year.
(Report by D. Colville)
