Saints Wheelchair Rugby head coach Jamie Higgins was really pleased with his side's performance in their first outing in the Premiership since earning promotion earlier this month.
The side took part in their first tournament as Saints locked horns with Exeter Chiefs last Saturday (18 May) at Stoke Mandeville, taking on experienced sides in Ospreys A, Stoke Mandeville Maulers, West Country Hawks and Team Solent Sharks.
Saints embarked on a round-robin tournament, pushing the Premiership sides hard and despite falling to their first three of their opponents, secured a win over Sharks saw them head into the fifth-place play-off. There Saints locked horns with Maulers once more and though the side ended up on the wrong side of the 22-16 result, Higgins is delighted with the team's progress in the top-tier of Great British Wheelchair Rugby 5s.
"We knew this season would be a challenge but I'm really pleased with how the team performed on Saturday," Higgins commented.
"They were facing some of the best sides in the country and we really showed what we were about to push Maulers and Hawks so close. Ospreys A are the best in the league at the moment and while it was disappointing to lose to them, I'm pleased with the fight the team showed throughout and then to get the win over Sharks was really pleasing. They battled hard in the play-off match too; overall the whole competition was a positive one for us.
"We've got two more tournaments left in the summer league and we head into them sixth in a league of eight. For us as a new team in the competition, that's a real achievement.
"I'm excited to see how far the side can push themselves this year."
For more information about getting involved in Saints Wheelchair Rugby, please CLICK HERE or contact Jamie Higgins on [email protected].
To find out more about the WR5’s Summer League, please CLICK HERE.
