Exeter Strike Gold in Rugby 7’s

Having previously qualified for the finals day in a regional knockout competition, the squad journeyed to Broadstreet Rugby Club near Coventry on Saturday 12 May to face off against their counterparts from Universities including Loughborough, London Met, Birmingham and Durham.
The squad eased through the group stages thanks to some fast hands and some great runs from Charlotte Benjamin and Vicky Warren. Exeter conceded only one try in the group stages and put 67 points past their opponents.
Birmingham and Durham offered stiffer competition in the quarter and semi finals respectively but again Exeter’s determination saw them advance through to the final, where they faced their old enemy in the form of Loughborough University.
Sports Scholar Lucy Demaine, a 2nd year Medicine student was part of the victorious squad and was delighted with her team’s achievement. “It’s fantastic to finally win a BUCS Gold, especially as we have come so close in both the 15-a-side and 7-a-side versions of the game in recent years. Rugby has been such a huge part of my time at Exeter so far and this win is especially great for the girls leaving at the end of this season.”
Through her Sports Scholarship, Lucy has received a variety of support services to enable her to fulfil her athletic and academic potentials. Having previously represented England at U20 level, Lucy now has an eye on winning her first senior international cap.
The team’s success is even more impressive as fellow Sports Scholar Amber Reed, a 2nd year Exercise and Sports Sciences student, was unavailable for this tournament as she was representing the senior England women’s team in the European Championships in Italy. Women’s Rugby at Exeter has benefited hugely this year from the expert coaching of Jo Yapp, winner of 70 caps for England, many of which as captain, and veteran of three World Cups.
This latest BUCS success for Exeter follows Championship Gold medals in Men’s Hockey, Judo, Yachting, Windsurfing and Karate, as well as a number of Silver and Bronze medals and other high placed finishes for our teams and individual performers. The University of Exeter is currently sitting in 7th position out of 149 institutions in the annual BUCS rankings, having amassed our highest points tally ever in BUCS competition. That many of the institutions above Exeter in this table have a significantly higher number of students from which to pool their representative teams is further testament to Exeter’s sporting prowess.