A RECORD crowd for the John Smith's Pock 7s saw the 2019 crown go down to the very last kick of the day - as Northumberland invitation side The Mighty 'Peth scored a last-gasp try then kicked the conversion to beat Hull RUFC 24-22 in the final and lift the trophy.

The Good Friday extravaganza in the Bank Holiday sunshine was a marvellous day on both the social and playing front.

The rugby contingent descended on Percy Road from near and far, Yorkshire exiles jetting back from as far away as Australia and North America for an Easter reunion, while local club teams and out-of-county invitation outfits played a succession of close encounters throughout seven hours of non-stop sevens rugby.

The semi-finals of the main tournament set the standard. Hull's powerful line-up was pushed all the way by Newcastle students Northern Exiles in a high-scoring affair before Hull sealed a 31-19 win with a couple of late scores.

The second semi was even closer as surprise package Goole, first winners of the event way back in 1959, were pipped by Morpeth-based 'Mighty Peth 21-15.

The final was a cliffhanger.

Hull - managed by Wales international and ex-York Rugby League and Hull FC half-back Gary Pearce, who won the tournament twice in the 1990s during his time as Pocklington's player-coach - scored twice in the early stages.

But Morpeth hit back with two opportunist scores before half-time to level.

Hull crossed again in the second period to lead 22-17 with time running out, but The Mighty 'Peth chipped ahead on the last play and got a fingertip touchdown to again tie the scores, before nervelessly drop-goaling the winning conversion to the sound of the final whistle.

The day's two trophies now sit in cabinets 300 miles apart.

While the Fowler Cup went north to Morpeth, the Herring Plate headed south to London as Richmond Renegades beat the Pocklington School old boys, Old Pocklingtonians, 47-14 in the Plate final.

It was also close for much of the game, with only one score in it at half-time, but the OPs ran out of steam at the end of a long day and Richmond pulled away with a flurry on late scores.4

2019 John Smith's Pock 7s results

Round 1: Hull Ionians Rams 0 Woldgate OB 20; Beverley 20 Enable Baa Baas 5; Wild Turkeys 26 Old Pocklingtonians 12; Queen's Own Yeomanry 0 Driffield 43; Prowling Pretenders 5 Goole 34; York Saints 7 OP Dragons12; I’s Too 10 Selby 22; Malton & Norton 28 Wot-a-Pullet 10.

Round 2: Pocklington Porkers 0 Woldgate B 31; Hull 31 Beverley 0; Pocklington 17 Wild Turkeys 35; Northern Exiles 32 Driffield 0; Yorkshire Regiment 12 Goole 25; Richmond Renegades 17 OP Dragons 24; Mighty ‘Peth 57 Selby 0; Cleveland Cougars 14 Malton & Norton 27.

Quarter-finals: Woldgate OB 0 Hull 34; Wild Turkeys 12 Northern Exiles 24; Goole 24 OP Dragons 5; Mighty ‘Peth 26 Malton & Norton 12.

Semi-finals: Hull 31 Northern Exiles 19; Goole 15 Mighty ‘Peth 21.

Final: Hull 22 Mighty ‘Peth 24.

Plate Competition: Hull Ionians 19 Enable Baa Baas 26; Old Pocklingtonians 22 Pocklington 10; York Saints 14 Richmond Renegades 28; I’s Too 12 Cleveland Cougars 34; Enable Baa Baas 12 Old Pocklingtonians 36; Richmond Renegades 19 Cleveland Cougars 7; Old Pocklingtonians 14 Richmond Renegades 47.