By TED GLENDALE
PROP Jared Warren is a big unit, biggest bloke on the pitch, biggest bloke in the whole Brighton Nines tournament.
He’s seen plenty of action today and has taken some stopping with his blustering barges for Hammersmith Hills Hoists. But right now he’s going nowhere.
There are five, six, seven, maybe eight bodies piled on top of him after he lunges forward and spins to score from close range to seal golden point 14-10 victory in the final against London Chargers. His teammates jump on. He manages a smile but it clearly hurts being at the bottom of that heap.
The day had started with violent tropical thunderstorms but as Warren, 32, plunges over the line, the attractive setting nestling below the South Downs is bathed in sunshine. It’s a fitting finale to an event at its third year that goes from strength to strength.
“Enjoyed it here today,” says Warren as he sups on a celebratory beer.
The front-rower is also assistant coach of the south west London outfit and like most of his teammates, an Aussie. He was in the West Tigers system with NSW hooker Robbie Farah and went to Holy Cross College in Sydney which produced Kangaroo Test stars like Benny Elias, Paul Sironen and Aaron Woods.
He says: “We came here today to win it. I’ve tried to instil that little bit extra in the boys this season and it’s paying dividends.”
Hammersmith and Chargers were still deadly serious and going through their drills minutes before the final kicked off – in contrast to others who’d already started to party off the pitch. Ten men’s teams and four women’s locked horns this year.
Host club Sussex Merlins had sides in both. In the men’s, Chargers brought enough for two sides and were joined by Leicester Storm, Richmond Warriors, Surrey Sharks, Brixton Bulls, St Albans Centurions and Reading Royals. Misfits – formerly Selby Warriors – Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Brighouse Rangers and Nottingham Outlaws completed the ladies’ line-up.
Misfits finished top of the standings in a ferociously contested group. Coach So Phillips said: “It’s great to come down here and see the game thriving. We’ll be back.”
Brighouse’s weekend started with the funeral of Ronan Costello, the 17-year-old academy player whose junior days were at Rangers. Captain Sarah Kennedy organises a minute’s applause for the teenager from all sides before the tournament kicks off.
Merlins are taking it seriously with a large squad, many of them union players, with lots of coaching tips and moves planned between games. Outlaws are the bravest team of the day with a squad of just eight players tackling the most sapping form of the sport.
Over in the men’s comp, Leicester are wandering round with plastic baby bottles full of booze, fuelling up between games. They’re camping overnight and occasionally retire to their tent for a natter. The fumes from there later on would floor an elephant.
A barbecue, beer tent and DJ keep several tipsy wanderers amused.
Surrey Sharks are the merriest of the lot by the halfway point of the day but it’s not stopped them competing hard, with two French players guiding them around the field.
One final image to sum up the mood sees the Sharks taking on a mixed Merlins side in an impromptu hit-up on the all-weather pitch as the evening draws to a close. Both sets of players simply can’t get enough.
Tournament director Nick Weston said: “We’re delivering the biggest nines event in the country – and we’re doing it in Brighton. In our third year our event was bigger than ever; more teams from more places. We’re showing the northerners how it’s done and are in discussions to create a sister event in Leeds next year. If you take a step back and consider seven years ago there was no rugby league in Brighton, this is simply brilliant.”
Negotiations are already underway with sponsors MyClubBetting – who provided natty straw hats for everyone – to back the tournament in 2017. Hammersmith continued their celebrations, meanwhile, in a Walkabout bar near the seafront. Well, they are Aussies.
The challenge now is for a northern side to take their crown.
