IRISH schools 15-a-side champions Clongowes Wood College, from County Kildare, celebrated their first visit to the Hereford Cathedral School Marches Sevens in style when they trounced the fancied Welsh seven from Llanhari School, also making their tournament debut, 40-7 to take the Millennium Cup on Sunday.

It was a fitting end to a specially extended two-day festival of sevens rugby, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Marches Sevens and 125 years of rugby at the school, which yet again lived up to its reputation of providing exciting non-stop rugby of the highest calibre.

Free from the often stifling constraints of the 15-a-side game, the young players, augmented by French flair in the form of the Lycee Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Montmorency, Paris, treated the large crowd to an outstanding exhibition of skill, pace and power.

Ball winning, ball retention and tackling were the hallmarks of the Clongowes' play as they conceded only three tries in winning the trophy.

They earned their place in the final with a 28-7 win over renowned sevens specialists Llandovery, with Llanhari gaining revenge for their defeat in last month's Hereford-shire Schools Open final with a 21-12 success over Christ's College, Brecon, in the other semi-final.

Host team Cathedral School had an excellent tournament, topping group A on Saturday by winning all three matches against Worcester Royal Grammar School, 17-0, Strade, 33-10, and Skinners, 36-5, and narrowly missing out on a semi-final place after Sunday's Cup group one matches.

They beat Monmouth 19-15 and St Brendan's 28-7 but went down 35-21 to Christ's College, who claimed a semi-final place as group winners.

RGS Worcester did well in the Plate competition, going out 43-12 in the semi-final to the eventual winners Rydal, who went on to beat John Cleveland 17-12 in an exciting final, coming from behind to earn a sudden death victory after the teams had finished level 12-12.