Friday Night Lights: Warwick seal double victory with women’s whitewash and tough men’s contest

At Butts Arena Park on Friday 6th of March, both of Warwick’s rugby union teams took to the field in two huge showdowns against Leicester and Oxford Brookes. With crowds hitting 500 free FNL branded t-shirts for the first 100 entrants, and a kick challenge during the break, it was a night full of fun and success for Warwick rugby.

It was Warwick Women’s Rugby who kicked off first at 4pm and minutes after, Warwick scored their first try. The team went on to have an incredible game, dominating possession of the ball throughout their game.

Warwick women’s 1s demonstrated some great gameplay; from their solid defensive line to their agility when handling the ball, Warwick made it a tough game for Leicester. Leicester struggled to gain possession of the ball or to prevent Warwick from breaking through their defensive line and scoring their many tries.

Every girl going on the pitch did a great job

By half-time to score was 65-0 to Warwick. There were no turnovers, depriving Leicester of the ball. Warwick won all of their scrums and there were only 3 handling errors from them. In their second half, they dominated once more. The final score was 96-0, as the game ended early due to an injury in Leicester’s team.

Warwick’s number 10, Emma Welseford scored 6 tries in total. Number 15, Daniela Teulon, number 7, Lilly Cherry, number 5, Abi Pentland, number 14 Dana McCutcheon, number 2 Gwen Sheehan, number 13 Isabel Embrey and Olivia Coombs all scored tries as well, with Coombs scoring on her debut.

This was the first time this event was held, so it was a great opportunity for the women’s team to showcase their talent. When speaking to the president of Warwick’s Women’s Rugby, Maddy, she expressed how proud she was of her team and how well they all played: “Every girl going on the pitch did a great job”.

Maddy additionally spoke about how nice it was to have support from the crowd and alumni in such a great environment. She’d like to do it again to allow the team to show their talent in a supportive and energetic environment. The team were promoted to a higher league after this win, heightening their achievements. A deserved outcome after an incredibly dominant game from Warwick women’s rugby team!

This win meant no relegation for the Warwick men’s team, so another great win for the University

Warwick CMD (Classical and Modern Dance) and Warwick Devils performed at half time, both performing great routines to keep the crowds occupied and energised during the break between the men and the women’s matches.

The men’s match commenced after the performances with Warwick men’s rugby 1s playing Oxford Brookes men’s rugby 1s. Warwick and Oxford Brookes continuously fought for possession of the ball. Warwick scored the first try shortly into the match. Oxford Brookes retaliated and scored a try later into the match. It was a tight and tense game; both teams were fighting for the ball. At half time the score was tied at 5-5.

Both teams had strong defensive lines and made some great tackles. The final score was 19-10 after both scores managed to score another try in the second half. This win meant no relegation for the Warwick men’s team, so another great win for the University. The match was tense and unpredictable, but ultimately an achievement for the Warwick men’s rugby team.

Both teams played incredibly well and manged to secure wins for Warwick. The event was an opportunity for all the teams to promote rugby and Warwick’s skilful plays resulted in two wins. The FNL event showcased Warwick’s talent and was a chance for many students and people to support the university during their triumphant wins.