WANDERERS captain Brendan McGroarty signed off in style from the Fort Matilda club on Saturday when he led his team to victory in the local club’s annual sevens tournament.

McGroarty’s seven became only the fifth team in Wanderers’ history to lift the Fort Matilda Trophy and they secured the spoils with some fine play throughout the competition.

The victory was the highlight of the weekend rugby festival held at the Octavia Terrace ground to commemorate Wanderers’ 140th anniversary.

The weekend itinerary was kicked off on Friday evening when Inverclyde Provost Robert Moran was joined by other local dignitaries and, accompanied by Wanderers’ president John McDougall, performed the opening ceremony and declared the newly re-laid rugby pitch at Fort Matilda open.

With formalities over, Wanderers ‘Old Crocks’ then played their first game in many years and managed to secure a rare victory over a Renfrewshire District Veterans Select side managed by former Wanderer John Black.

A Kevin Murray try converted by Graham Knox provided Wanderers points in a 7-5 win over the guest team and some fine performances were posted by the Greenock stars of yesteryear.

Donald Stone, Alan Mitchell, Jimmy McKenna and Kevin Murray all caught the eye and Knox produced the seminal moment, late on in the game, when he ensured Wanderers’ lead remained intact with a trademark crunching tackle.

The main event of the weekend was, of course, the reintroduction of the sevens tournament and 16 sides gathered at Fort Matilda on Saturday to contest the Fort Matilda Trophy and the Octavia Shield.

Wanderers’ name came out the hat in the top end of the draw and they opened with a first-round tie against Lenzie.

The locals swept aside the challenge from the Glasgow-based side with a comfortable victory but in truth the performance was scrappy and lacked cohesion and fluidity and gave no indication of the drama that was about to unfold.

The quarter-final tie was against Glasgow Academicals and once more Wanderers toiled a bit but used their bench well and rotated players at regular intervals to ensure fresh legs remained on the pitch.

Grahame Mooney, Alan McMichael, Kenny Diffenthal and Andy McDougall were prominent but it was the outstanding player on view Brendan McGroarty who made the telling contribution by scoring a late winning try.

By now Wanderers were beginning to settle into their stride and with some tasty ties holding the attention in the bottom end of the draw it became clear that Hamilton and Hillhead/Jordanhill would be the teams to beat if success was to be achieved.

The semi-final paired Wanderers with Hamilton and a tense affair was played out in front of a vociferous home support. McDougall and Diffenthal pulled the strings at half-back and the Greenock men did just enough to secure a 17-10 victory and a place in the final.

Hillhead/Jordanhill had negotiated a comfortable passage to the final by defeating Arran and fellow Glasgow clubs GHA and Hawks along the way.

Hills were brimming with confidence and entered the final as favourites.

For those teams knocked out in the opening round the supplementary Octavia Shield competition ran in tandem with the main event.

Wanderers’ president’s seven, captained by Andy Love, made steady progress and they battled their way to the final against Howe of Fife.

As a warm-up fixture before the finals Wanderers Ladies stepped onto centre stage for the first time at Fort Matilda and played their first ever match against Ayr Ladies who have been established in the women’s game for several seasons.

Although well beaten in the end, the local girls did themselves proud and showed plenty of potential that justified all the hard work that had been put in over the winter months.

The highlight was a fine long-range try scored by star performer Erin Haldane who ensured her place in the annals of Wanderers’ history by becoming the first ever female to score a try for a senior Wanderers’ team.

Her sister Caitlyn Haldane will also join her in the history books by being the first lady captain of the club.

The Octavia Shield final was contested first and Howe of Fife secured the silverware by defeating Wanderers’ president’s seven despite a valiant effort by skipper Love and his team.

With all eyes now firmly focused on the Fort Matilda Trophy final, Wanderers produced an upset and saved best until last. The locals played their finest rugby of the tournament just when it mattered most and an excellent team performance, with McGroarty at his peerless best, turned the final into a formality as Wanderers romped home by six tries to two.

President’s wife Elinor McDougall presented the trophies and medals to the winning teams.

The rugby festival was concluded yesterday when the youth sections held their own competition and an excellent afternoon was enjoyed by a large crowd who turned out to support the stars of the future.

l Wanderers are sponsored by Texas Instruments.