OXFAM Crusaders retained their title at the 57th annual Pock 7s competition hosted by Pocklington RUFC.

Teams from all over England took part in the popular tournament, while spectators flew in from across the world, including ex-Pocklington players Mark Biggin and Gary Barbaro, who jetted back from Australia and America respectively.

Oxfam Crusaders, a group of school mates from Norfolk who formed a sevens side to raise money for Oxfam, beat Newitts Centurions, founded by the Newitt family at Malton but now attached to Mowden Park, 22-5 to clinch the Fowler Trophy. The final was closer than the scoreline suggests with Oxfam getting a good bounce for one of their three first-half tries and Newitts a bad one to deny them a score.

In the Plate final, Old Tritons, from Nottingham’s Trent College, where former Pocklington, Otley and Ionians centre Guy Hope is in charge of rugby, beat The Three Feathers, a team of Ampleforth old boys, 15-0.

The trophies were presented by Sarah Buckle, regional sales manager for John Smith’s.

The tournament got off to a dramatic start with the first two games ending tied and going to sudden death extra-time. Old Pocklingtonians and Burton Sounds got a golden try to progress at the expense of Bridlington and Three Feathers.

Old Pocklingtonians lost 26-0 to Sedgefield Squirrels in round two, while Malton & Norton exited the main competition after a 46-0 defeat by Newitts.

Selby lost 14-5 to Social Stingers in the main competition and went out of the plate after a 24-10 defeat by Old Tridents.

Host club Pocklington were 26-0 winners over Social Stingers in round two of the main event and beat Lomaiviti Baa-Baas 10-5 in the quarter-finals before bowing out 26-12 to Newitts.

York Peterites beat Old Tridents 24-5 in round one and then Stingers 7s 22-0 in round two, but their run was ended by a 19-12 reverse against Newitts in the last eight.