Bath Hawks earn an early Christmas present

Bath Hawks finished 2018 on top of the Uni National Touch Series after wrapping up a Cup title for the second time this season.

Touch has shown repeatedly throughout the last 12 months that it is a sport for all seasons, and this was the case in Bristol, with bitterly cold winter conditions the first obstacle that the teams faced. However, this did not hinder the high spirits of the players, and an excellent level of Touch was played throughout the day in the west country. 

The tournament ended with a fantastic battle between Bath 1s and Nottingham, where Bath came out as the victors 7-4 in a great contest. The teams had also met in the group stages, where neither side could be separated in a 5-5 draw.

Heading into the knockout stages both of the eventual finalists were undefeated, and Loughborough looked strong with a 7-0 win over Southampton. But as the day progressed, Bath and Nottingham continued to show their strength, overcoming their opponents Exeter 1s and Loughborough 1s to reach the final.

Huge credit is due to the Nottingham team for making the final having only entered the Uni NTS this season and fielding a reduced team for this round in Bristol. They have certainly proved themselves on the big stage and will be one to watch moving forward; the likes of Bath, Loughborough, Exeter and Bristol certainly have another competitor to watch out for in the fight for the top spot!

Hosts Bristol also experienced success in a 6-3 win over Exeter 2s in the Plate final, securing some silverware for the home fans. In the Bowl final Birmingham defeated Oxford 1-0, in a tense match to end the day. This was Birmingham’s first entry into the 2019 series and they showed their worth heading back up to the midlands with a well-deserved win.

The Uni NTS will resume in February with Round 4 to be played in Nottingham. This will also see the separation of the teams into two separate divisions similar to the Elite and Emerging NTS series earlier on this year.

If you have any queries please email Alex Scott via university@englandtouch.org.uk