Iceni stormed onto the pitch, purple ribbons in their hair, raising awareness for domestic violence and supporting our friends and local charity, Next Chapter.

The ladies wasted no time making history!
Less than a minute in, Zoe Goate crossed the line for the opening try, swiftly converted by Katie Gemal. Moments later, sharp team handling sent the ball wide to Beth Philpott, who tore through like a gazelle, cutting in to score under the posts. Another pinpoint kick from Katie—14-0 in just five minutes. The crowd was in for a treat.

Southwold struck back at nine minutes with a well-worked team try, though the conversion went wide—14-5.

Undeterred, Iceni pressed on, with Wednesday’s training wisdom clearly echoing in their minds. Coach Corey had called for more ball to Beth, while Coach Danny backed her blistering pace. The team listened. Beth delivered again, and with another flawless kick from Katie, the score moved to 21-5.

Zoe and Kat Richardson combined beautifully, exchanging passes before Zoe sprinted what felt like half the pitch to score an unconverted try—26-5.

An injury saw Southwold drop to 14 players, with Iceni matching their numbers. But the momentum stayed the same. Katie Gemal broke the line, scoring and converting her own try to stretch the lead to 33-5.

Southwold’s speedy Number 13 looked set for a breakaway, but Lucy Philpott and Zoe had other ideas, tracking back to shut it down.

Substitutions followed: Gracie Besant replaced Kiera Chittenden (head injury), Jade Seal stepped in for Laura Hammond, and Queenie Lomboy took over from Beth Watts. The half-time whistle blew with Iceni firmly in control.

The second half began and with injuries reducing the game to 13-a-side, Southwold came out fired up. This time, their Number 13 couldn’t be caught, scoring an unconverted try to make it 33-10.

Both Iceni and Southwold forwards put in an exceptional performance, battling through the drizzly conditions and working tirelessly in the numerous scrums that occurred throughout the game. Iceni displayed impressive pod and diamond formations, with their forwards continuously working hard, supporting one another with powerful rucking and counter-rucking efforts.

A brief moment of “Lurpak fingers” from Iceni across the try line forced a restart, but Iceni quickly regained possession. Lucy Philpott powered through for a well-earned try, a cherry on top of the cake for an amazing performance, with Katie adding to to the score board to make it 40-10.

Iceni’s backs then put on a handling masterclass. Emma Goate, Zoe Goate, and Jade Baker worked the ball beautifully before Emma finished under the posts. Katie’s kick made it 47-10.

The final whistle blew with a win for Iceni. Coaches Graham and Clarice couldn’t have been prouder of the team. A big thank you to Southwold for making the journey and putting on a fantastic game of rugby.

Iceni remain on fire! (Ball)

Lucy Philpott was named Player of the Match, sponsored by the Tru7 Group, for her outstanding open play and textbook tackling. Zoe Goate was awarded the Lumberjack Award for her chopping performance on the field.

Looking ahead, Iceni will be hosting a Mixed Touch Tournament, open to all, on May 24th to raise awareness and support for Next Chapter, a charity dedicated to supporting those impacted by domestic violence. For more details, visit the Iceni Instagram page @crfc_Iceni.