BUDE Colts celebrated Easter by winning the 7s tournament at Launceston on Good Friday. Conditions were not the usual 7s fare of hard pitches and baking sunshine. Instead the players battled through thick sapping mud and frequent beefy showers.

But Bude always tried to play the rugby. They threw the ball around and waited patiently for the opportunities their pace would inevitably provide. Their defence was immense and they only conceded two tries in their six games.

In their first pool matches Bude beat Launceston 20-0 and then despatched Tavistock 22-5.

Then inexplicably there was nearly three hours to wait for Bude's next game. So the mud dried and caked on the players.

By the time they came to play Exeter Chiefs the Bude players looked like a tribe of mud worshippers from the deep interior of Papua New Guinea.

Bude beat the mighty Chiefs 20-0. Exeter seemed to think the object of 7s was to crash into the contact zone all day, instead of using space to create tries. Bude's robust tacklers were in their element.

Congratulations to Launceston who also claimed the Chiefs' scalp in the tournament.

For the final pool game Bude played Honiton. Honiton were on an Easter tour and arrived attired in ponchos, sombreros and outrageous Mexican moustaches. They quickly realised why Launceston is seldom mistaken for Cancun. Bude beat Honiton 47-0.

In the semi-final Bude came up against Newquay featuring former Bude player Dan Pearce. Bude started sleepily and conceded a try by not protecting the blind-side. Straight from the restart Newquay scored again but luckily for Bude the referee disallowed it.

This was the kick up the proverbial that galvanised Bude. They went on to reach the final by winning 15-7.

Bude versus Newquay would have made a great final. But Bude took on Liskeard-Looe on Polson's main pitch. The wide open spaces and dryer pitch suited Bude. With a display of scintillating rugby they triumphed 41-0.

Everyone of the 12 man squad played a crucial part in the day's victory. They all scored tries, they all put in those big tackles and they all exuded that Bude team spirit. Well done, boys!

Thanks to the organisers who coped well with the loss of pitches, the weather and five teams withdrawing on the day.

However there was one false note.

The presentation was held in the club-house immediately after the final. So the two most successful teams of the day (Bude and Liskeard-Looe) were still in the showers washing a day's worth of mud off their aching bodies when the presentations were made.

Eventually Bude received their trophies mostly to an audience of their own managers, transport officers and chief kit washers. Namely their parents.

Bude squad: J Spratley, J Wilson, J Cann, D Tout, J Adams, L Seaton, O Dell, T Ames, A Martin, K Speare, T Summers and F Saxton.