AN AWESOME performance from the Samurai’s girls team saw them cruise to the gold medal at the British Judo Council National Team Championships in Kettering.

The team, made up of Darcie Hancocks, Sian Bobrowska and Lauren Fletcher, had entered to get some match practice before some more major events.

Fletcher was a late change to the trio after an illness to Bryony Griffiths but it did not stop the Samurai trio from beating all-comers.

Fighters also had to get used to the slight difference in rules that the British Judo Council employ compare to the main governing body, the BJA.

However, they adjusted impressively to the altered circumstances.

The sheer class of the Samurai players, however, soon showed.

The team started by comfortably defeating a Leicester team, then followed up by a similar win against a threesome from Birmingham and then in the semi finals whitewashed a St Albans team 3-0 to get into the final.

They faced a combined team from several clubs in the final, but Hancocks, who had won every contest with ease, again put them into the lead.

However, Bobrowska, who had previously won every contest, lost against a useful player, so everything came down to Fletcher.

This had certainly not been the game plan, but she was up for the challenge and managed to dominate the contest and was a comfortable winner at the end of the contest to give the Samurai team the gold medal.

Meanwhile, Nathan Gallacher and Hancocks were both runners-up in the Hereford and Worcestershire Sports Player Of The Year Award, the former in the Young Sportsman section and latter in the Young Sportswoman section. For more details about Samurai and their activities, can call 07761 122977 or visit www.samurai.org.uk