The contingent was led by club officials Noel Debattista and Martin Bugeja, whilst Stefan Sultana, Paul Massa and James Cutajar were the coaches accompanying the players.
The experience for the Class E (1995) in the Welsh Super Cup under the guidance of Stefan Sultana was a very positive one. Considering that the squad consisted of boys born in 1995, together with others born in 1997, one must conclude that results obtained could not have been better. Competing abroad against same aged teams is not easy, therefore competing against boys who are one year, or in some cases, more than a year older, is no mean feat.
The game did not look like going in the right direction for Hamrun, having ended the first half 1-3 down, after conceding 2 penalties. However, the lads showed great character, raised their game and managed to equalize midway through the second half. In a dramatic finale, Hamrun managed to go into the lead in injury time. However, an incredible third penalty was awarded to Penparcau Magic, which however was brilliantly saved by the Hamrun keeper. Hamrun emerged victorious with a final score of 4-3 and declared winners of the Challenge Cup.
The category Class J (2000) under the guidance of James Cutajar and Paul Massa won their final against Celtiaid with a 2-0 scoreline. One should also mention that Celtiaid won against Hamrun 4-0 in the group stage. The game was played under heavy rain but the boys in red still managed to win despite the circumstances. As in Class E, Hamrun played also against older boys but the kids’ performance was solid especially in the last three games. Though coming from a small island, the kids showed that with some more effort Hamrun could have made it even further. In this tournament, no winners were declared for categories Classes I, J, K and L (from 2001 to 1998), calling the final matches Red, Green and Blue matches.
The nursery is pleased of its success in the Wales International Super Cup, an event in which Steven Gerrard, Tomas Rosicky, Andriy Shevchenko, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Owen and Shay Given had previously participated. .
The group also had the opportunity to visit Old Trafford Stadium and Museum tour and took the spectacular Vale of Rheidol Railway tour.
Photos of the Wales trip can be viewed on the nursery’s website on www.hamrunnursery.com