Details - 2008

Congratulations to Dave's Digglers who created history by being the first team in MTR history to retain their title, running out deserved winners against a tiring & belligerent Grumpy Old Men outfit in the final.

The semi finals were closest on record with Semi final 1 being decided in the final minute.  Tetbury had raced into a 3 - 1 half time lead against Grumpy Old Men by playing some superb touch rugby.  Whilst the Old Men might have been out on their feet at the hooter, they used the break to collect themselves and claw themselves back into contention at 4 - 4 with seconds remaining.  With all the signs pointing to sudden death overtime with drop off, Grumpy Old men did the unthinkable and fashioned a score from nothing to snatch the deciding score seconds from the final hooter. Grumpy Old Men 5 - 4 Tetbury

If the first semi final was close, then only atoms separated Dave's Digglers and Team Graeme.  When observing at an atomic level a tunnelling electron microscope is the viewing implement of choice.  However the referee was one provided with a pair of eyes and was the recipient of much encouragement from both sides to improve his decision making processes.  In the end Team Graeme managed two last minute scores to level the match at 5 - 5 and move into the drop off procedure.  At the final hooter, both sides were reduced by one.  After two minutes the dead lock remained.  Both sides were required to remove another player.  Still no one could break the deadlock.  With the hooter sounding for the next drop off to be effected, Dave's Digglers utilised the vast expanses of open space to work themselves over for a score and a place in the final.

After both the semi finals it was time for the plate final.  The Rattlebone team, made up entirely of people who've never been to the Rattlebone, ran out 7 - 4 winners against Aled's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Well done to both sides for making the plate final.

After the such fine semi finals the final was always likely to disappoint, and it did as a contest but not as a spectacle.  Although Dave's Digglers romped home 8 -2 the some of the touch rugby on show was truly magical.  The sublime Sam Czerpak proving too much for the Old Men at the roll on numerous occasions.  Grumpy Old Men's captain, Huw Jones said "some of the play here to day was fantastic, touch was definitely the winner here this evening".  However that view was disputed by all of Dave's Digglers and especially team Captain Mike Joynt when collecting the Winners trophy from the President of the England Touch Association Jeremy How.