The result of the Senior and U17 East Region trials on Sunday have been announced - full details on the East Region website (U17 and Seniors). The coaches report that in both cases it was by far the toughest trial there has ever been. Also note that this Saturday's senior training is now at Old Albanians.
One result of the incredibly high standards on show is that only 23 of the final 30 names for the U17 squad have been announced - 16 girls are being invited back to retrial on 11th February for the remaining seven places. Several major "names" who have been in past regional squads have missed out this year. There was a particularly tough battle for forward places - other than props -and also amongst the backs centre and full-back were heavily over-subscribed.
This imbalance was caused by many girls applying to trial for places where they had not played at county level, resulting in (at one extreme) 23 "centres" competing against each other, but only two or three "fly-halves". There were similar over-subscriptions for flankers and full-backs.
One reason is that it is suspected that some trialists may have been attempting to second-guess where it would be "easiest" to get into the squad - and the message is don't! Almost universally girls who were sucessful trialed in the positions where they normally play at club or county level.
So its congratulations to those who are through into what is unquestionably the best regional squad there has ever been. Good luck to those who are trying again on the 11th, and commiserations to those who missed out - any other year most of you would have got in. Keep going - things were so close that next time it could be you.
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