Sidmouth Under-9s win Devon Festival Plate competition

With many of the players knowing each other, bragging rights were up for grabs.

Gyll Gray captained Sidmouth Vikings for the tense final game, in which tries from Charley Turley, Thomas Grove and Toby Sanford ensured victory.

Sidmouth sent two teams – Warriors and Vikings.

The Warriors were up against Okehampton and Tiverton in their pool.

Alexander Goody on the left wing ran in two of the tries in a 5-2 victory over Okehampton.

Tiverton proved to be too strong, defeating the Warriors 4-3 despite determined defence and running by Jack Pugh, who eventually had to be taken off due to injuries.

Harry Finch on the right wing and Laisey Jackson in the centre also put up a great tackling defence.

The Warriors’ Plate quarter-final against Ivybridge proved to be a great match with players showing their true mettle. Injuries in the pool stage meant Jack Pugh, Laisey Jackson and Harry Finch could no longer play.

Luca Arver moved across from the Vikings to make up the numbers - and proved man of the match.

He put in five tackles in a row at one stage to win turnover ball and force himself over a couple of Ivybridge players and the line.

The semi-final was against Honiton and the Warriors lost marginally despite the reduced team putting up an awesome defence.

Ben Brook, Reece Hext, Leon Rowley and William Allen and Harry Wood were the other members of the team.

The Vikings kicked off the tournament with a 6-0 win over Newton Abbot.

The squad, under skipper Alec Bagwell, was Zac and Luca Arver, Thomas Grove, Thomas Bird, Archie Rowcliffe, Toby Sanford, Charley Turley and Gyll Gray.

Torquay beat the Vikings 4-2 in the next game, sending them into the Plate along with the Warriors. The Vikings easily beat Barnstaple 8-0 in the quarter-final.

Toby Sanford captained the team to a 4-1 win over Paignton and into the final.

Twenty-four teams took part at Honiton, whose Allhallows ground was awash with families cheering on their teams.