Rugby: Haywards Heath Colts gear up for exciting finish – East Grinstead Women are champs

Haywards Heath RFC Colts’ super season continued with a 50-12 win over Cranleigh Colts.

Following a Sussex Cup win over Hove, Heath were due to face Worthing in a league match that, with a bonus point win, would have seen them crowned Sussex Premier League champions.

Worthing had to cancel and a hastily arranged friendly was found at Cranleigh to maintain the fitness of the squad.

A Heath side showing 11 changes continued to play an attacking brand of rugby and, although initially met with a defensive wall, settled into the game and started to dominate possession, scoring three tries in the first half for a 0-19 lead.

Two quick tries for Heath at the start of the second half killed the game off and while Cranleigh fought back with a couple of tries, Heath ran out 12-50 winners.

Next they have a league game against Crowborough, followed by the Sussex Cup final against Brighton at Whitemans Green on April 23. The league game v Worthing will be at Whitemans Green on April 30.

The HHRFC base has a busy day on Sunday week (April 23) with Sussex Thunder’s American football team playing their first fixture at their new home as the club push a multi-sport strategy in the quest for a new clubhouse.

They hope to welcome local supporters of rugby and American Football for the match followed by live screening of the Brighton FA Cup semi-final.

See more about the day at www.hhrfc.co.uk

East Grinstead RFC’s women’s team are league champions.

It was a day that proved one for the history books as the women took on Camberley in their last game of the season with the aim of winning the title.

Turn back the clock one year and East Grinstead women were rounding off their first year in the NC3 league after 10 years of not being in any official league at all.

The 2021-22 season saw the women finish fourth in their table; but for this season, it was a very different story.

They were raring and ready to go on the back of a four-match winning streak. With the sun shining and a strong home crowd there to support, everything was set for a fantastic game of rugby.

Throughout the season, they have gone from strength to strength in various elements of their game. In particular, the team has sourced many tries from the dynamism of their back line with Wallis and Kraus scoring an abundance between them.

In the first half of this match, the women continued to draw from this strength, scoring three tries from some excellent agility from Wallis, Kraus and Shackel in the back line.