TagFest Leeds 2025 Review

Saturday 16th August marked the 10th TagFest Leeds and the first time it was hosted at Yarnbury RFC. Teams travelled from Thames Valley, Newcastle, Salford, Manchester and York to take on a strong field of West Yorkshire sides on home soil. The Kids’ TV fancy dress theme brought plenty of colour and creativity, with some fantastic efforts on display throughout the day.

The competition began with all teams split into pools, where results determined their path into the afternoon’s Cup, Plate or Bowl competitions. In the pool stages, Baa Baa Tagfest Sheep, A Lettuce Sandwich, ArtAttag, The Old Masalans and Fun House all impressed by going unbeaten. They were joined in the Cup by Tag Infinity & Beyond, Kick Tease does Tagfest and TMNT – LEEDS, who advanced thanks to superior points difference.

The afternoon knockout rounds saw teams battle it out across all three competitions. The Cup and Plate followed the traditional Quarter Final–Semi Final–Final format, while the Bowl was contested via two pools of three in a round-robin system.

In the Bowl, two tightly contested groups meant points difference was decisive, with Mickey Mouse Tag House and A Heavenly Way to Try both earning their place in the final. The final itself saw Mickey Mouse Tag House take control, running out 7–3 winners to claim the Bowl title.

The Plate knockout rounds brought plenty of drama. Horsforth Storm saw off Escape From Al Kat Tags 4–1 in their quarter final, while Not That Turtles Team defeated L’opportunité c’est tagging énorme 7–3. The semi-finals were closer affairs, with Horsforth Storm edging Tagging One Off and Not That Turtles Team narrowly beating Don’t Stop Tagging. In the Plate Final, Horsforth Storm produced a dominant display to win 5–2 and secure the title.

The Cup quarter finals brought emphatic wins for Baa Baa Tagfest Sheep, A Lettuce Sandwich and Manchester based team, ArtAttag, while The Old Masalans came through a tougher contest to complete the semi-final line-up. Both Baa Baa Tagfest Sheep and A Lettuce Sandwich then claimed 4–1 semi-final victories, setting up a mouthwatering final.

In the Cup Final, Baa Baa Tagfest Sheep struck first through Simon Riach, before A Lettuce Sandwich levelled late on to take the match into drop-off. Just a minute in to drop off, Baa Baa Tagfest Sheep surrendered possession near halfway, allowing Dan Waters to pounce. Replicating his heroics from the 2023 final, Waters crossed for the decisive try to seal a 2–1 win and crown A Lettuce Sandwich as Cup champions. In doing so, they became only the second Yorkshire side in the past decade to lift the trophy.

There were excellent refereeing performances throughout the day, ensuring the tournament ran smoothly and competitively, with Paul Ward named Referee of the Day.

Photos

Check out the photos from the day.

FINAL STANDINGS

Cup
1 A Lettuce Sandwich
2 Baa Baa Tagfest Sheep
3 ArtAttag
4 The Old Masalans
5 Kick Tease does Tagfest
6 TMNT – LEEDS
7 Funhouse
8 Tag Infinity & Beyond

Plate
1 Horsforth Storm
2 Not That Turtles Team
3 Tagging One Off
4 Don’t Stop Taggin’
5 Escape from Al Kat-Tag
6 Guten Tag
7 Stirks Angels
8 L’opportunité c’est tagging énorme

Bowl
1 Mickey Mouse Tag House
2 A Heavenly Way to Try
3 Tagger Rangers
4 All pints no tries
5 Taggy Daggy Doo
6 Jim’ll Tag It