The U14 Phoenix Phirebirds had a fantastic season, making the National Plate Final in their first year as a team. On 25 September the small team of just six players set out to Northampton to face tough opposition from around the country.
In their first game, Phoenix faced the South Coast Spitfires and it was a true baptism of fire for our two new players Finley Mayers and Dexter Peacock, both with only a few training sessions under their belt. But in true Phoenix style, they took the first game 36-0 with Dexter scoring two touchdowns in his very first outing.
In Game 2 of the round-robin event, Phoenix took on the Hertfordshire Cheetahs. Continuing their winning streak against tougher opposition, this time they won 40-19.
Then it was time to face the toughest team of the day - the Wigan Bandits. With under half the number of players of the stronger opposition, the Phirebirds fought valiantly but lost 36-8.
They then faced the Bandits for a second time for the Plate Final, conceding this game 26-0 to place as Runners Up in the Final.
After a long day with maximum effort from all of the team, it was wonderful to see them claim their runner-up medals and celebrate the end of a sensational inaugural season.
Huge thanks to Head Coach Terrell Burgess who made this Flag team possible and to the wider Phoenix Phamily for embracing their newest and youngest members. Here's to 2022 and beyond!
Phoenix Phirebirds 2021 Flag National Plate Runners Up
Team from left to right: Dexter Peacock, Theo Stone, Keiran Hawkes, Jonte Hinton, Finley Mayers & Noah Scriven with their stand-in coach for the day Taranjit Chatha.