{{primary sources, date=October 2011 The Glengarth Sevens was an annual

rugby sevens Rugby sevens (commonly known simply as sevens, and originally seven-a-side rugby) is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players playing seven-minute halves, instead of the usual 15 players playing 40-minute halves. R ...

tournament held at Davenport Rugby Club. The first Glengarth Sevens was held in 1967 at Headlands Road, home of Davenport Rugby Club. Its celebrated its 21st anniversary in 1987 which was to be the last Glengarth Sevens held at Davenport rugby club.

How it all began

In June 1966 the North East Cheshire Society for Mentally Handicapped Children opened their day care centre at 'Glengarth' in Station Road, Marple, Stockport. As a number of the children who attended lived in Bramhall, a Bramhall sub-committee of the society was formed with one of its main objectives being fundraising. It was thought best to organise events which would be annual to raise regular income. At the time, a member of the Bramhall sub-Committee, Michael Hodgson, was Captain of Davenport Rugby Club. The club was approached through, then President Norman Harris, by George Jackson and Michael Hodgson with the properstioion of organising an annual seven a side rugby competition. Jackson had a ready-made carrot to dangle in that he said he could get David Watkins, then of

Newport RFC Newport Rugby Football Club () is a Welsh rugby union club based in the city of Newport, Wales. They presently play in the Super Rygbi Cymru. Until 2021 Newport RFC were based at Rodney Parade situated on the east bank of the River Usk. Ever ...

and the 'Prince of all Sevens Players' to bring a side for the first tournament. It was decided to form a joint committee to organise the event and so the 'Glengarth Sevens' was born. England Rugby International, Eric Evans was invited to become president and remained throughout providing continuous encouragement, inspiration and leadership. The England players of his era rated Eric as the finest Captain they had played under and the team went on to win the Grand Slam in 1957 and Triple Crown in 1958. The tournament was very fortunate to have a number of dedicated sponsors but the most valuable contribution was made by Davenport Rugby Club and its members who worked so hard to make the Glengarth Sevens a national success and a very highly respected seven a side rugby tournament. The 21 years of the Glengarth Sevens raised more than £60,000. Many famous teams and players entered the Glengarth Sevens. Players like David Watkins, Andy Irvine, Les Cusworth,

Phil Bennett Philip Bennett (24 October 1948 – 12 June 2022) was a Welsh rugby union player who played as a fly-half for Llanelli RFC and the Wales national rugby union team, Wales national team. He began his career in 1966, and a year later he had taken ...

, Peter Winterbottom, Steve Smith, Fran Cotton and many others; teams like Orrell, who won the competition eight times, and guest sides such as the Public School Wanderers, who won it four times. Famous memories include legendary British and Irish Lions Captain,

Willie John McBride William James McBride CBE, better known as Willie John McBride (born 6 June 1940), is a former rugby union footballer from Northern Ireland who played as a lock for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. He made 63 appearances for Ireland, ...

running onto the Davenport 1st XV pitch with a lion cub from

Longleat Longleat is a stately home about west of Warminster in Wiltshire, England. A leading and early example of the Elizabethan prodigy house, it is a Grade I listed building and the seat of the Marquesses of Bath. Longleat is set in of parkl ...

Previous winners of the Glengarth Sevens

Main Event
1967 - David Watkins Seven
1968 -

Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public university, public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university sinc ...

1969 - Croeso '69
1970 -

1971 - Orrell
1972 - Orrell
1973 - Public School Wanderers
1974 - Orrell
1975 - Orrell
1976 - Orrell
1977 - Sale
1978 - Welsh Select Seven
1979 - Public School Wanderers
1980 - Orrell
1981 - Orrell
1982 - Blackheath
1983 - Public School Wanderers
1984 - Public School Wanderers
1985 - Orrell
1986 - Waterloo Davenport Plate
1967 - St. Helens
1968 - Sale
1969 - Wilmslow
1970 - Wilmslow
1971 - Middlesbrough
1972 - St. Helens
1973 -

Lymm Lymm ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Warrington, Cheshire, England. It incorporates the hamlets of Booths Hill, Broomedge, Church Green, Deansgreen, Heatley, Heatley Heath, Little Heatley, Oughtrington, Reddish, Rushgreen and ...

1974 -

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

1975 -

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...

1976 - Fylde
1977 - Wilmslow
1978 -

Anti-Assassins The Anti-Assassins Rugby Union Football team (A-As) was an invitation team that selected players from the northern counties of England to play friendly charitable matches locally and to go on tour. The team was remodelled in 2004, teaming up with ...

1979 - Orrell
1980 - Public School Wanderers
1981 - Public School Wanderers
1982 - Public School Wanderers
1983 - Blackheath
1984 - Selkirk
1985 - Sale
1986 - Harlequins

Glengarth Reborn

Stockport Rugby Club are recreating the Glengarth sevens atmosphere in June 2012 with the first ever 'Stockport 7s'. Over the weekend of the 2 and 3 June there will be a Men's tournament, where the Glengarth Cup and Davenport Plate will be presented, and a Women's tournament. There will also be a beer festival and live music and evening entertainment. Just like the first Glengarth tournament in 1967, a committee has been formed and the memories are flooding back.

External links

Stockport 7s Website
Rugby sevens competitions in England