After ten hours and 55 games of high-speed action Old Grovians, the Woodhouse Grove School old boys team, took the Fowler Trophy with a convincing final win over Newcastle graduates, Northern Exiles. Earlier, women's tournament newcomers, West Park Sycamores, from Leeds, lifted the Amy Hardy Cup after beating invitation side, Filthy Fifths.

The standard of Good Friday women’s rugby continues to rise, and as the pre-competition favourites, Bishop Buton and Manchester Metrodogs fell by the wayside it was the late entrants, Sycamores 7, from the West Perk Leeds club who pulled away to put a new name on the trophy with a 27-10 victory.

Starting from humble beginnings in 1959 the Pock 7s has grown immeasurably through the decades. This year’s competition started and finished in weak sunshine, but it had a dampener heavy shower in mid-afternoon as teams from London, Wales, Lancashire, the North-East and from all parts of Yorkshire battled it out. Everyone soon recovered the drenching, with the event drawing more than 3,000 people from far and wide for an Easter rugby reunion.

Old Grovians looked likely from the off to retain the title they won last year; especially after dismissing the challenge along the way to the final of the 2023 champions, Cleveland Cougars, and 2024 winners from Barnard Castle. But there were a host of close encounters as main and plate competitions threw up a series of cliffhanger encounters, with a clutch of keen local derbies and some games going to sudden-death extra time.

The new Wooden Spoon division ended in an all-York final with Old Peterites defeating York Saints 33-31 to Old Peterites. Northumbria Thunderhawks, from Northumbria University, were winners of the Herring Plate after beating Malton & Norton in the Plate Final 28-14 on their third visit to the Pock 7s. In the main final at the end of a long day, Northern Exiles put up a brave fight but OGs had too much pace and power in the end, winning 43-5.

Some of the matches can be seen over the next few days online here: