29 Mar Fancy doing something different this Good Friday?

It’s Good Friday today, an extremely important date for Christians around the world.   You may be celebrating it by enjoying a rest from work (it’s a public holiday here in the UK), eating a hot cross bun or going to church.   But in my home town of Pocklington, we’ll be doing something completely different!

Over 60 years ago Pocklington Rugby Club decided to start a 7s tournament taking place every Good Friday.  At the time there was virtually no sport played on Good Friday so it proved extremely popular!   It’s now Yorkshire’s biggest 7s tournament.

According to legend the sport of rugby was invented at Rugby School in England, when in 1823, during a game of football, William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it!  Although we can’t be sure if this is true or not, the Rugby World Cup trophy is named after him.   In 1871 the Rugby Football Union was formed and a few years later in 1879, the first proper rugby match took place between Pocklington Town and Pocklington school.   I say proper rugby as a rugby like game of medieval “mob football” had traditionally been played at least twice a year in the town for centuries.   In May it was played after the traditional horse race with players playing both on foot and horseback!

7s rugby originated in Melrose in Scotland – it’s played with 7 players instead of 15 with shorter matches making it a very fast paces and demanding sport and perfect for a one day tournament.   The Pock 7s has expanded to include a women’s 7s which kicks off today’s events at 12noon.  Fingers crossed the weather stays sunny for it!