Port Macquarie's inaugural Rugby 10s tournament has been hailed as a great success, with players from all over the country taking part in the event.
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The tournament, held at Stuarts Park on Saturday, March 16, was hosted by Port Macquarie Pirates and featured teams from Port Macquarie, Kempsey, Newcastle, Central Coast, Wagga, Medowie, and Queensland.
The Port Macquarie Pirates men's and women's teams made it deep into the finals before bowing out of the tournament.
Kempsey Cannonballs women's team had an impressive first outing, qualifying for the semi-final. However, the team had to forfeit due to low numbers, with Lake Macquarie taking out the women's title in the end.
Meanwhile, the men's side dug deep and won the semi-finals against the undefeated Bula Brothers to qualify for the grand final.
After playing their sixth game of the day, the team narrowly missed out on the title, finishing as the runners-up to Wagga City Internationals.
Rugby 10s organiser Michael Reid said the inaugural event was a dream of the previous president, Scott Marks, and was partly inspired by the successful Crescent Head Rugby 7s tournament.
He said the event was a "great success".
"Kempsey came second in the finals which was a good result for the Mid North Coast," Reid said.
"The quality of the teams was really good. It was a fast-paced tournament, and everyone had really competitive games. "
Reid said that the event not only provided a platform for rugby enthusiasts to showcase their skills but also brought a tourism boost to the region.
"That was part of the plan as well, and it was good to see the teams support the local businesses as well"
Reid said the club hopes the event will become an annual affair.
"We want the event to be bigger and better next year."