Rochdale International Mixed Tag Rugby League Festival

Rochdale International Mixed Tag Rugby League Festival

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Former Great Britain International Des Foy made a guest appearance at the Rochdale International Mixed Tag Rugby League Festival and presented the cup to the winning captain.

With a new venue and format the festival attracted a broad spectrum of players ranging from absolute beginners to current internationals.

Rochdale Hornets were represented with former Hornets favourites Emon Ratu and Chris Churm taking the field in the EuroTag event and current Hornets players Danny Bridge, James Tilley, Matty Hadden and Dean Mignacca all having a run for the eventual overall winners of the competition, the Hornets Sporting Foundation.

In the EuroTag section of the festival Chris Churm's Lancaster University Old Boys overcame Oldham Souths to claim the title with the Canalsiders running third.

In the standard Tag competition the Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation beat the Queensbury Mad Taggers in golden point extra time. The quality of the Foundation's professional players just pinching it from a young Queensbury side who had more experience of Tag rugby league.

In the Shield Final the Mayfield Mustangs defeated the Flying Horse/Cobras in another final which went into golden point extra time. With both sides defending like their lives depended on it the game was 15 minutes into extra time before Mayfield broke the deadlock to score and take the spoils.

The host team, the Rochdale Swarm, narrowly missed on getting into the finals, but performed with credit during the whole event.

Rochdale Hornets and Rochdale Swarm Chairman Mark Wynn presented the trophies to the winning captains of the EuroTag event with former Great Britain international stand off Des Foy presenting the Foundation's Captain James Tilley with the Tag Festival Cup.

The Spirit of the Festival Award this year went to the Rochdale Swarm player Shaun Slicker, who despite being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in his early 20s continues to turn out when the Swarm play.

Organiser Emily Wynn said: "It was great to see the festival so well supported and the new venue at Mossway proved a big hit.

"We are already planning on another event and just trying to get more people playing rugby league."