England Universities Retain RFL President’s Cup in Close-Fought Battle with GB Teachers
In a tightly contested affair, England Universities successfully defended their RFL President’s Cup title, defeating a spirited Great Britain Teachers side 28-20 at the Lock Lane Sports Centre.
The students started brightly, with captain Nathan Redmond’s cheeky chip-and-chase try putting them ahead inside the opening minute. However, the GB Teachers quickly responded with a brace of tries from Nathan Lyon, followed by a score from Luke Mitchell-Johnson to take a 14-12 lead at the break.
“We knew the Teachers would push us all the way, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. I’m proud of the way the lads dug deep to come through a tough test and retain the trophy.”
- England Universities coach Ben Price
England pressed the reset button in the second half and regained the lead through tries from Jake Dickinson and Elliot Shaw. But the determined Teachers fought back, with Jed Goddard crossing to level the scores, before a penalty goal from Kieran Moran edged them ahead once more.
As the game entered its final stages, England’s Tyler Hepple crashed over to seal the victory, ensuring the President’s Cup remained in the hands of the Universities for a second successive year.
The victory sets up a two-match series between England Universities and Wales Students, with the first game taking place at Aberavon Harlequins RFC on 30 June, before the return fixture at Stanningley on 6 July.
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