The Fly 2024 starts with a bang in Manchester
The Fly 2024 started with a bang on opening day at the Manchester Regional Arena with six incredible games showcasing exactly what this competition is all about.
The sun was shining (doesn’t it always at The Fly?), the players and coaches were ready, and the scene was set against the backdrop of the Etihad Campus and Manchester City FC’s Etihad Stadium.
Hustle 13-12 Forge (men)
Last year’s men’s champions Hustle started day 1 at The Fly 2024 against 2021 finalists Forge looking to start with intent and show the rest of the competition that they mean business once again.
A fairly even game throughout, Hustle captain and last year’s top points-scorer Alex Russell was on top form hitting five goals and one assist as his side narrowly claimed the win 13-12 despite a nervy last couple of seconds that saw Forge captain Jamie Powell narrowly miss the target with the last shot of the match.
Rise 8-22 Swift (men)
The second game in the men’s competition saw last year’s beaten finalists Swift take on two-time winners of The Fly Rise.
The ever-dependable Danny Hilditch, returning to The Fly after a two-year break, hit eight goals as he helped his side staked their claim as the early front-runners in the competition with an 8-22 victory.
Hustle 13-15 Rise (women)
It was a tight affair in the opening women’s game as two teams who’ve never won a The Fly title started their 2024 campaigns. Rise sped into an early 7-2 lead but were unable to really see Hustle off despite also coming out on top in the second and third quarters.
A huge 8-2 win in the fourth and final quarter for Forge was impressive but too little too late to win the game and the three points went to Rise.
Forge 17-6 Swift (women)
A repeat of last year’s women’s final came next and Forge proved unstoppable in their only game of the day as they seek a third consecutive The Fly title.
Forge’s attacking prowess really showed with Sarah Butler, Ella Cohen, Iona Westwood, and Liv Wimpenny all scoring three goals each. Something Swift need to work on as they head into their next set of games.
Swift 27-17 Forge (men)
After scoring 22 goals in their first game at The Fly 2024, Swift didn’t hold back in their second game as they blew away Forge 27-17.
It was a classic encounter with both teams intent on attacking the other with force. Swift were helped along by an attacking trio of Dan Jones, Hilditch, and Luke Mills-Doig who managed to score 17 of their 27 goals. Forge were unlucky once again but can be buoyed by a good performance and four goals each from youngster Ellis Baythorpe and captain Tom Bracegirdle.
Rise 10-11 (OT) Swift (women)
The final game on opening day at The Fly 2024 produced an instant classic as Swift overcame their earlier defeat to claim victory against Rise after sudden-death over-time.
Neither team was able to stamp their dominance on this game and the excitement only grew as it headed into over-time with the scores locked at 10-10. The experienced and talented front three of Emily Gray, Laura Warren, and Torz Anderson teamed up excellently in over-time to produce a golden goal of real quality to see Swift pick up their first win in 2024.
Catch up with all the action from day 1 over on our YouTube channel HERE.
The Fly returns to Rosslyn Park, London this Saturday 18 May for day 2 at The Fly 2024. Grab your tickets HERE.