Jersey retained the Touch Inter-Insular trophy after winning two out of the three games on Saturday at Blanche Pierre Lane.

Having only taken a mens and a womens team to the European Championships in Paris two weeks ago, Jersey was able to field a mens, womens and mixed team by dividing their men and using their strongest ladies to play in both the womens and the mixed teams.

The women’s teams took to the field first and having already met in Paris when Jersey won 7-0, Guernsey knew that the 40 minute game was going to be tough and this wasn’t helped by three players being unavailable. Jersey took an early lead and the game continued in their favour and despite Guernsey’s best efforts, the final result was 6 – 0 which gave Jersey the first win of the afternoon.

Guernsey’s men’s team had also lost to Jersey in the Euros when the result was 7 – 2 and so knew that they were coming into Saturday’s game as second favourite. They had also suffered a crucial loss just three days before the game when one of the key players, Australian Wade Vincent, dislocated his knee cap in the last seconds of the league semi-finals. With several other players also unavailable, mixed captain Andrew Hutton stepped in to one of the mid positions. Jersey again took the lead and held it al the way to the final whistle although Guernsey did score three excellent tries to end the game 8 – 3 to Jersey.

The first came when Andrew Dunn intercepted a Jersey pass and made a break for Guernsey’s try line. Despite Jersey’s best efforts, he ran the full length of the pitch to score and then went onto score Guernsey’s second by running through the defence as they scrambled to get back onside. Guernsey’s third came from Hutton who scored after a pass from captain Ollie Ward.

Guernsey’s mixed was missing just one player and so it was an experienced team that took to the field. Having been voted Guernsey’s most valued player at the Euros, Mark Rodliffe continued to prove his worth and scored two of Guernsey’s tries. One through beating the defence with an S move and then the other through an S down which was followed up by a switch to score. Guernsey scored four other tries through Lindsay de Sausmarez, Alec Bailey, Clio Phelan and Ariane Turner who was playing her last Guernsey game before heading home to Australia after being one of the key players over the last three years.

Jersey managed to score twice to end the game in a 6 – 2 victory for Guernsey.

‘It was another great inter-insular and all three of the Guernsey teams can be proud of their performances. Jersey has already commented on how much the standard of Guernsey’s teams has improved and we’re quietly confident that now we have a side which is predominantly made up of true Guernsey players that we can use that stability, complement it with some players who may only be here for a couple of years, and produce three teams that will continue to challenge Jersey and hopefully overcome them,’ said Hutton, Guernsey Touch chairman.

Following the games, Guernsey Touch held its annual awards ceremony for the three island teams which recognises the most improved player and the best and fairest for each team together with an award for an outstanding contribution to Guernsey Touch.

For the women, Emma Curtis was named most improved and Claire Tostevin for best and fairest, in the mens James Gavey was named most improved and Wade Vincent for best and fairest and in the mixed Richard Perrio was named most improved and Mark Rodliffe for best and fairest. Lindsay de Sausmarez and Claire Gaston-Parry were recognised for their contribution to Guernsey Touch.