The 300 Cup was contested on 22nd October 2009, the day prior to the Battalion departing for a well deserved post operational tour leave.  The Cup was presented by the founder of the event, John Williams 300, who very kindly travelled to Lille Barracks for a fabulous day of sport.  As many of us will be aware 300 has been none too well this year and the huge roar he received from the Battalion when he was introduced is testament to the very high esteem in which he is held by today’s generation of Welsh Guardsmen.  We wish 300 well and look forward very much to seeing him next year.         

The aim of the 300 Cup has always been to provide an opportunity for rugby players of all abilities to display their skills with the hope of being selected for the Battalion rugby squad; this year was no different.  The competition ran along the normal league system in the morning followed by a 3rd/4th place play off and a final in the afternoon.  As always the Companies went hell for leather with some good, and not so good, rugby on display.  Evident in bucket loads, however, was the commitment shown in all the matches with tackles flying in as players competed with every last breath for their team.  

This year’s 300 Cup formed a fundamental component of our essential decompression and normalisation following an arduous summer tour in Afghanistan and with many Companies spread far and wide for the previous six months this event brought them back together in style.  The final was contested between Number Two Company and Number Three Company with the “Little Iron Men” running out as emphatic winners by 43 point to nil.  Number Two Company did exceptionally well during the league matches but simply ran out of steam in the final. 

The Young Player of the tournament award went to Gdsm Craze, who finished the day on crutches but with a big smile, and the Veteran was none other than 44 year old CSgt “Andrew Morgan Brown 16” who spent most of the previous 6 months as a reservist in Afghanistan with the Battalion.  16 said a few words which summed up the last 6 months and we all wish him well as he returns back to civilian life in Llanelli.  Following a thoroughly impressive day long display of skill and tenacity the player of the tournament award went to Gdsm Divavesi who we are sure we will hear more of.      

In early December we will run a Possibles versus Probables match with those who featured positively during the 300 Cup having the chance to cement a place in the Battalion rugby squad for the remainder of the season.  On the Army Cup front we will be attempting to go one further this year and win the coveted Army Cup but as the season is well underway and we are all still on leave we will have to work exceptionally hard to get through our group and into the knock out stages where anything can happen.  The senior players will once again need to set the example and take all new players into the fold and bring them on for the benefit of the entire squad in what is bound to be a condensed season.