Union Cup Rugby Sevens Tournament, Montpellier May 2005
For their end-of-season tour in 2005 The Spartans travelled to Montpellier and participated in the inaugural Union Cup which has since been run bi-annually by the European Union Gay Rugby Association (EUGRA). This was a chance for gay teams in Europe to get together and have their own tournament away from the larger Bingham Cup.
Manchester Village Spartans RUFC entered two teams into the tournament and met others from London, Cardiff, Dublin, Montpellier, Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Edinburgh. Having beaten the London Kings Cross Steelers in the semi-final and the Emerald Warriors (Dublin) before that, the Spartans 1st VII lost in the final (2 tries to 1) to Les Artichauts, the only 'straight' team to compete which was entered from a local rugby club.
1. Les Artichauts
2. Manchester Village Spartans
3. Les Gaillards Parisiens 1
4. Emerald Warriors
5. Barbarians
6. Manchester Village Spartans 2
7. King’s Cross Steelers 2
8. King’s Cross Steelers 1
9. Bristol Bisons
10. Caledonian Thebans?
11. La Melee Alpine
12. Cardiff Lions
13. NOP Amsterdam
14. Los Valents
15. Malmö Devilants
16. Les Gaillards Parisiens 2
This was a fun sevens tournament with a high standard of rugby and plenty of tour drinking and partying which helped to spread some entente cordiale!
Rugby result : 2nd Place Runners Up
Tour Theme : Northerners!
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