Lions lift Plate in Dublin contest

Their first game was against a familiar team – The Bee Taggers, but in true Lions fashion, getting lost on the way there meant they had to rush off the bus and straight on to the pitch. The lack of warm up resulted in a 4-9 defeat.

Game two saw a better prepared team face No Woman No Try, who play at Lansdowne RFC in Leinster, but with the scores tied at 6-6, the Lions conceded a point in the final minute to lose 6-7.

Game three saw a turnaround for the Lions who had finally found their form. They beat Tag R Ducks from Tallaght RFC in Leinster 9-4.

Game four followed suit with the Lions easing past Negligent Inchargers, who play at Highfield RFC in Munster, with a score of 13-1.

At the end of the fourth group game the Lions had won two and lost two, and only one point separated them from the top two teams.

The fifth and final group game saw the toughest opponents the Lions have faced, The Bircroft Panthers, from Lansdowne RFC in Leinster. This is a team who focus on tag rugby all year round, and are previous winners of the All Ireland Championships. The Lions fought hard with the scores tied for most of the game, but as before, in the final few minutes, they conceded one point to bring the final score to 8-7 to the Panthers.

This meant the Lions qualified for the Plate final, playing Tag R Ducks for the second time. In a thrilling final, the Lions determination pushed them that little bit further, giving them the win with a score of 13-8, and the chance to lift the Plate.

The Lions squad thanked those who stepped in at the last minute to play, and those who travelled down to support.