Eleven players travelled, along with a further 13 supporters for a weekend of rugby and culture in Belfast. Dolgellau were in the same pool as Hertford, Wimbledon and fellow Welsh rivals, Pontyclun.
The first match saw Dolgellau Ladies against Pontyclun Warriors in a fiercely competitive opening game. Due to some excellent teamwork and defensive play, Dolgellau were the victors 12-5. Their next game was against Hertford (North London) who were a much bigger team. However, Dolgellau used the width of pitch and their pace to outclass them 19 points to 0.
The final game in the Pool stage was against Wimbledon Wombles – despite this team seeming to be weakest out of the Pool Teams, this proved to be one of the hardest games and Dolgellau scraped through with a 5-0 win.
The next hurdle to climb was local team Carrickfergus Ladies in the semi-final. Once again, this was a hard fought match between two very evenly matched teams but Dolgellau showed the greater determination and won 7-0.
Dolgellau were in the final against last year’s winner Cooke RFC from Belfast. From the opening minutes of the clash it was evident that Dolgellau Ladies were up against it – Cooke were an excellent side who soon exploited the tired legs in the Dolgellau side.
Due to injuries, Dolgellau conceded the game with a couple of minutes to go but they didn’t feel robbed as Cooke were by far the stronger team. The Dolgellau Ladies had played out of their skins to reach the final with many players having to play out of position and also with a lack of subs to bring on fresh legs. The touring team were more than happy to collect the runners-up cheque for £250, and they more than deserved it.
