Friday 20^th February - Derby Tigers 05 - 00 Crediton (Tries:- Josh Miller 3, Josh Watts, Sam Martin) - Derby Stags 04 - 07 Crediton (Tries:- Ben Edmundsum 2, George Campbell 2)

Saturday 21^th February - Derby Tigers 07 - 00 North Tawton (Tries:- Josh Miller 2, Josh Watts, James Baker, Jake Roome,  Bobby Carr, Ben Wilkinson) - Derby Stags 04 – 09 North Tawton (Tries:- Luke Frixou, Iwan Palmer, George Campbell)

Sunday 22^nd February - Derby Tigers 03 – 00 Sidmouth (Tries:- Josh Miller 3) - Derby Stags 00 – 05 Sidmouth

Whilst the pace of Miller, Wilkinson and Martin continued to be very difficult to break down, and the overall tackling of all the Tigers put the boys in a very strong position before a number of major competition that are scheduled.

Roome and Carr continued there regular impressive performances, with Baker setting an example of how to break through from strong competition in the stags team.

Just as impressive was the very quickly developing stags team. Powerful forwards Hunt, Miskow and Palmer showed great hope for the future. The trickery of Campbell and Edmundsum proved to be handful, and a number of very key, try saving tackles came from Rudkin, Frixou, Alison Pallett and Dring.

The U11's had a fantastic tour both on and off the field working and bonding as one team against variable opposition.

Friday 20.2.04 - Derby 14 - 05 Crediton (Tries Jim Wigglesworth, Shane Purcell, c:Shane Purcell).

On a bitterley cold late afternoon the Derby lads braved the elements and played some good rugby in an unfamiliar change strip of blue & white hoops against a keen,sporting Crediton team. The game was of 10 minute quarters so enabling all the boys to have 20 minutes rugby.Each of the '10 minute teams' performed well and it was very encouraging to see the 'Tigers' keep the opposition in their own half whilst only a last-ditch tackle by Tim Dixon playing for the opposition managed to keep the Tigers out ; 'lemonade moment' to Tim for showing the ethos of rugby and for playing for the shirt.

A great time was had in the clubhouse afterwards and many thanks to Crediton for their hospitality, especially to their man Paul Comer for organising the day and to the ladies for the food.

All the scores below were created by a squad of players who should all be listed as a team first, so here they are: Thanks to Dominic Jardine, Jack Smith, Leyland Parnell, Ollie Ruddock, Enan Kenyon, Sam Holloway, Ryan Wood, Josh Harvey, Richard Elliott, Lewis Bracey, Joe Keble, Giles Whitta, Chris Ruggins, Aaron Moorcroft, Jordan Hughes, Joe Wilkinson, Jonathon Murney, Kelsey Sheraton, Ryan Holmes, Ryan Jones and Rob Rainbow. Special thanks must also go to Mike Clay our resident student coach.

After a good trip down to Crediton our lads got ready for their first match. Most of them were in the mood after watching the World Cup highlights on the coach video system.

Crediton made us welcome as we went out onto their pitch. The weather was quite cold but dry and the ground condition was excellent. We started with our most experienced squad to gauge the competition but following two tries in the first half we started to give all of our players a good run. Crediton started to turn on the pressure but we fought back and finished the second half with two more tries.

Following an early night after a few orange squashes both kids and parents had a good nights sleep and woke at the crack of dawn feeling fully refreshed (honest judge!)

We made our way to North Tawton to be met by Dave their U12’s coach. Their team was made up of both North Tawton and Oakhampton players having joined clubs two seasons ago. After a brief training session we again began a match in cold but good conditions. Straight away it was apparent that this was going to be a tougher match than the previous evening. We started well with Ollie Ruddock scoring the first try but unfortunately it wasn’t converted. North Tawton soon came back with their own try and conversion. The North Tawton backs were playing very well and seemed to be onto the ball quicker than us. Following such a move they scored their second try just prior to half time. Entering the second half 7 points adrift Derby fought back hard and were rewarded eventually with a second try by Joe Wilkinson which was converted by Ollie Ruddock.

Final Score: DERBY 12 – 14 NORTH TAWTON (Tries to: - Ollie Ruddock and Joe Wilkinson. One conversion by Oliver Ruddock)

Our lads now deserved a refreshing treat, so after sampling the hospitality of North Tawton’s clubhouse and another Shepherds Pie we headed for Bude. A bracing walk on the beach was again followed by a few Ribenas’ as guests of BUDE RFC. England beat Scotland and we all had to have a sing song.

(hope the kids didn’t hear all the words to the songs Nigel Ruggins came up with).

other clubs. We again put the more experienced team on to start with and were rewarded quickly when Jack Smith broke through on the wing to score our first try. The Derby forwards were having a good day with most scrums being easily won. This allowed Giles Whitta to feed the backs with some good balls, which they began to use nicely. Number 10, Ollie Ruddock, made super use of one such pass and broke through the Sidmouth forwards to score our second try which he then converted. After a good call and catch following the Sidmouth kick off, a break by our backs put Jonathon Murney in open space with the ball. He managed to defeat their defence and scored a try in the left corner. Soon after one of our newer forwards Ryan Holmes broke free from a line out to score again this too was converted. Virtually on half time a strong push by the Derby forwards put Rob Rainbow over the line, but unfortunately his try was disallowed due to a foot just in touch. The only score in the second half came from a break away by the Sidmouth Fullback, with Derby unable to catch him.

What a superb tour, 120 - 130 dads and lads and coaches and myself went on tour from Friday to Sunday. Everyone did Derby Rugby Club very very proudly, it was an honour and pleasure to be with such an excellent, disciplined and well behaved group of young lads, pity about the dads! The rugby at all age groups was of a very high standard and the lads won most of their games, but to me at this age that is not the be all and end all, but it is the overall result of sport that is most important with the emphasis on working as a team, having fun and understanding the need for respect and discipline in life. There is nothing to worry about with these boys, absolutley top drawer skill, tackling was unbelievably good and the flair was definitely there. It was also interesting that the lads had been influenced by the first team as one of the teams went off the pitch all touching each other as the first team do on a Saturday.

A big thank you to Brian Smith top organising, all the coaches need a massive pat on the back, excellent stuff, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and this pudding tasted very sweet. A big thank you to the fixture secretary Adrian Summerscales for getting the fixtures, and the dads for showing interest in their sons and coming away with us, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. So all in all a superb tour and I feel that the future of Derby Rugby Club is very rosy in deed if this tour is anything to go by.