Enniscrone Beach Tag Wraps Up Season
With Enniscrone as the location, Ireland’s Grand Slam silverware visiting, the inclusion of former Ireland Munster lock, Mick Galwey and his Munster Legends team into the mix, this last splash of the Tag season was always going to be a major event
Teams from all over Ireland (twenty-four, in fact) came to this beautiful part of the Connacht coast and took part with the proceedings getting started on Friday when the Grand Slam Silverware was taken on a mini-tour by Mick Galwey firstly to Enniscrone Golf Club and then onward to Gilroy’s and the Pilot Bar. Rugby fans of all ages got in line to have their pictures taken with ‘Gaillaimh‘ and the pride of Irish rugby.
On a warm and humid Saturday at the beach and as the music filled the air, the captains’ briefing got underway at one o’clock with the referees having their pre-games ‘pow-wow’ soon after.
Games kicked off at 2pm and the final Tag event of the year got underway with the very clear signal from the hooter.
Each of the six pitches in place delivered the kind of games that were to be expected, all played with fun in mind, exemplifying the spirit of Bud Light Tag rugby.
The group winners went on to Semi-Finals for the Cup and the group runners-up into semis for the Bowl.
Final placings after the Group Stages were as follows :-
Group A
1. ASBOs
2. Lemonheads
3. Fancy a Tag?
4. Tag Mo Thoin
5. Coca Cola
6. Now Yer Taggin
Group B
1. Guten Tag
2. Beach Bums
3. Plane Sailing
4. MacTaggernauts
5. Team Audi
6. The Misfits Pink
Group C
1. Beating Chastards
2. Riverside Pirates
3. Rockets
4. Half Fit Halfbacks
5. Team Shambles
6. Missfits Blue
Group D
1. Munster Legends
2. Crockets
3. Beach Bums
4. Samson Superheroes
5. Hardy Bucks
6. Tit for Tag
As Semis began, folks got to the sidelines and settled for some playoff action. Riverside Pirates managed to defeat the other semi-final winner, Beach Bums in a 7-5 thriller for the Bowl while Lemonheads nicked Crockets by a point in a 3-2 result setting up entertaining final with the eventual victors emerging as the Riverside Pirates.
In the Cup, ASBOs defeated Mick Galwey and his Munster Legends side 10-4 to end up contesting a final against Beating Chastards who advanced by beating Guten Tag 6-3. When referee Tom Keating blew full time in the Cup final, scores were level at two apiece so onwards the game went for a golden point winner in two minutes (with the tide beginning to make an appearance too). With the minutes gone, the final full-time of the day was blown and BOTH teams, ASBOs and Beating Chastards were declared joint Cup winners!
What a day it was but was it all over? Not in the slightest. In the true tradition of Bud Light Tag rugby being the quintessential ‘Game of Two Halves’, everyone met up at the Diamond Coast Hotel to jump onto the bus provided to teams that would take them to the Trophy Presentations at Ballina RFC where a truly great night was had by all followed by the ‘must-see-for-anyone-visiting-Ballina’ trip to Crockets On The Quay.
Not only were the winners and semi-finalists presented with their hard-earned crystal trophies but a special Spirit of the Game team award was announced amidst great applause by all present to the Plane Sailing team.
Many many congratulations and thanks to all the players no matter if they won a trophy or not.
A special thank you to all who helped contributed in the smooth running of this event as volunteers and referees. Also thanks to our Tag Ambassador Mick Galwey, Diamond Coast Hotel, Gilroy’s, Pilot Bar, Sligo County Council, Order of Malta, our photographer Corinne, Daniel Carrabine & Ballina RFC.
Photos now available to see in our Galleries section HERE
If you have photos of this event or any other Bud Light Tag event, why not send them in to us here at tag@irishrugby.ie and see you and your team’s name up in lights? Please include names of subjects as well as when and where they were taken. All participants must be 18 years and over.