Sarah Beaney Cup 2022 | Round 1 Review
28 Feb 2022The Sarah Beaney Cup competition returned for 2022 this weekend, and got off to a flying start!
This year’s competition format will see teams compete in Pool stages in Cup, Plate and Bowl level fixtures before progressing to a Semi-final round.
All three Finals will then be played at BT Murrayfield on Saturday 14 May.
In the top tier of the competition, our six Premiership teams are joined by Garioch and Stewatry, table leaders from the National 1 Division, and split into two pools.
Pool A: Watsonian FC, Corstorphine Cougars, Garioch, Cartha Queen’s Park 1XV
Pool B: Stirling County, Heriot’s Blues, Hillhead Jordanhill, Stewartry, West of Scotland FC
In Pool A, fresh off the back of their Tennent’s Premiership winning performance last month, Watsonians started off their Cup campaign with an emphatic win over Cartha Queen’s Park (38-0).
Two fixtures were played in Pool B.
Heriot’s Blues ventured west to face Hillhead Jordanhill and cinched their first win of the competition 7-13, with flanker Poppy Fletcher scoring a try on her debut for the Blues.
At Bridgehaugh, Stirling County hosted the National 1 Division side West of Scotland and enjoyed a convincing 39-19 victory over their guests.
Heriot’s Blues Emily Oliver (left) who was awarded Player of the Match pictured with debutant Poppy Fletcher (right). Photo credit: Heriot’s Blues
There are nine teams competing for silverware in the National Plate this year, split across two pools.
Pool A: Ayr, Dundee Valkyries 1XV, Shetland, Broughton, Strathmore
Pool B: Biggar, Livingston, Orkney, Wigtownshire
Just two matches took place in the opening weekend of the competition as Ayr hosted Strathmore and Broughton ventured north to Dundee.
Ayr enjoyed an impressive start to their Plate campaign beating Strathmore 68-17. Ayr’s Hooker Shelley Main was named Player of the Match.
After finishing at the top of the East/Midlands league this year, Dundee Valkyries go into the Plate as strong contenders, and they certainly proved that in their home fixture against Broughton.
Valkyries Jamielee McCreadie scored two tries in the opening half of the match, both of which were successfully converted by Emma McKinnon taking the half-time score to 14-0.
Despite two second-half tries from Broughton’s Sian Furniess, Rachel Crawford added a third try to Dundee’s tally in the second half, drawing the game to a close at 24-14 to the hosts.
Greenock started their run in the Bowl competition with a win over the Midlands Development team. Photo credit: Bryan Reddy
A staggering 17 teams will compete in the National Bowl, initially being split into four pools of competition.
Pool A: Aberdeenshire Quines, Caithness, Dundee Valkyries 2XV, Fraserburgh, Peterhead
Pool B: Greenock Wanderers, Bishopton, Dunfermline, Liberton, Midlands Development Team
Pool C: Glasgow University, Cartha Queen’s Park 2XV, Inverness Craig Dunain
Pool D: Grangemouth, Hamilton, Kirkcaldy, Lismore
Just two fixtures took place this weekend in the National Bowl.
Greenock Wanderers took their first steps towards Pool victory as they hosted Midlands Development team, who are a combination team of Perthshire, Crieff and Aberfeldy at Fort Matilda. Scoring 15 tries through nine different players, Greenock stole the show with a 97-0 win against the newly formed Midlands team.
Not all too far away from the Wanderers, Glasgow University hosted Inverness Craig Dunain. Scoring seven tries in the game, the University side claimed the win 41-10 with hooker Chloe Drew named Player of the Match.
Liberton were due to host Livingston but the game was postponed due to unplayable pitches and will be rescheduled.
