Schools Rugby
Biggest Ever Tag Tournament on Isle of Man
Tony Simpson
BUCHAN School will represent the Isle of Man in the Yazoo and Child Victims of Crime sponsored “Tag to Twickenham” finals to be held once again at Rugby School later in the year. The Isle of Man event was sponsored locally by Scottish Widows and with 28 of the 32 Primary Schools on the island taking part, some, like Buchan, fielding more than one team, it was the biggest event of its kind ever staged on the island. The eight teams involved in the finals at the National Sports Centre were Buchan A, Buchan B, Cronk-y-Berry, Dhoon, Peel Clothworkers, Scoill ree Gorree and St. Mary’s, the top two teams from each of the four regional qualifying finals.
Buchan School A won the final for the third time when they beat Marown Seconds, but competition was a lot closer this year, with the development of the other schools plain to see. Presenting the trophies, Dean Waddingham, a former rugby player with the Leicester Tigers and Managing Director of sponsors CMI, said: “This is the third time that CMI, this year under the Scottish Widows brand, has sponsored the tournament, which complements our long-term commitment to support the Island’s young people in sporting and educational initiatives. “The quality of play of the qualifying teams was of a very high standard and congratulations must go not only to Buchan but also to Marown who fought such a closely contested match. The enthusiasm of all the players combined with the tremendous support of the teachers made for another great tournament. “With the obvious improvement in standards year on year, I can see the Isle of Man champions being very competitive when they reach Rugby School.”
St James Rugby Tournament
Charlotte Pearl
Now in its eighth year, the recent St James Under 10s Rugby Tournament hosted by St James Junior Boys School at Barn Elms, welcomed prep schools from across West London with eight teams competing in two leagues. The A League winner was Ravenscourt Park Prep School winning with 20 points, 12 ahead of the competition. The B League winner was St James School, with 15 points. Tournament organiser Peter Sawicki commented, “The atmosphere was great. The event is always enjoyable and all the games were played in good spirit.”
Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s
As Millfield School took three titles – Prep, Colts and Open, a great festival atmosphere was in evidence at the recent Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s Tournament, with a huge increase of exhibitors in marquees and O2/RFU, RAF and Army displays. This atmosphere was in keeping with the very high standard of rugby in all of the six competitions. The Colts (U16) age group had no less than 160 competing squads and the number of schools entering for the first time increased as well.
Just one team competed from outside the UK – Poznan from Poland, generously hosted by Moulsford Prep School in Oxford, other overseas teams being prevented from taking part by financial constraints. The first team to compete from the Isle of Man enjoyed competing in the juniors competition. Sterling work from volunteers and referees made for a big success and RAM Rugby provided 24 sets of post protectors and rugby kit for the ball boys. Samurai Sportswear presented a sports bag to all the finalists and Tsunami Sportswear presented 7s kit for next season to the six winning teams. Raging Bull supported the Juniors Competition by presenting a new Challenge Cup and rugby kit, while Gilbert Rugby supplied all the match and mini presentation balls.
Results:
Juniors: Wimbledon 34 – 12 Cathedral School, Llandaff
Preps: Millfield 31 – 7 Aldro
Festival: Tonbridge 24 – 10 Wellington College
Colts: Millfield 17 – 10 St. Joseph’s
Girls: Hartpury College 34 – 7 Truro College
Open: Millfield 34 – 10 Filton College
Daily Mail RBS Schools Finals
Paul Bolton
England Under 18 centre Marland Yarde and Cheshire dominated another successful Daily Mail RBS Schools Finals Day at Twickenham Stadium. Yarde scored a hat-trick of tries to clinch the Daily Mail RBS Schools Under 18 Cup for Whitgift School with a 34-10 win over RGS Newcastle but that was the only one of the day’s four titles not to go to a Cheshire School.
Wilmslow HS won the Under 15 Cup title by beating Wellington College 10-7 in a tight final, Lymm HS started the day by beating Brighton College 24-10 in the Under 15 Vase final and Sandbach School took the Under 18 equivalent, beating Norwich School 14-3 in their first appearance in a Twickenham final. Yarde, who had helped England Under 18s to victory over Wales just three days before Whitgift’s final, had little time to celebrate victory. He and team-mates Elliot Daly and George Merrick plus RGS Newcastle fly half Joel Hodgson were whisked to Llandovery in west Wales to prepare for England’s opening match in the Five Nations Tournament against Scotland two days later.
It could not have been an enjoyable journey for Hodgson as he contributed to Yarde’s hat-trick with a stray pass which the Whitgift centre intercepted then a crucial missed tackle which allowed him to complete his hat-trick. Yarde, who joins London Irish on a two-year academy contract in July, was modest about his achievement. “I have got a fair few tries this season but to get three at Twickenham was amazing,” he said. “But it’s not about me, it’s down to the effort of the team and the work of everybody.”
Whitgift’s win was their first in the Daily Mail RBS Schools Under-18 Cup though they won the Under-15 competition in 1999 and 2003. Scrum half Will Batterbury was Wilmslow HS’s star as he scored all their points against Wellington. Batterbury scored a solo try late in the first half and kicked the important penalty that proved to be the difference between the sides. Centre Thomas McClean scored the opening try which was converted by Charlie Wicks, son of former Chelsea, Derby County and QPR footballer Steve, but Wilmslow tightened up their defence thereafter.
Wilmslow fly half Callum Westaway collected the Cup having been a doubt for the final until the morning of the match because of a stomach bug. “I woke up at 6am on the day before the final feeling pretty sick,” he said. “So I wasn’t allowed to come down on the coach. I didn’t go out bowling with the lads the night before the final but I joined up with the squad two hours before kick-off.” Lymm HS’s win was their third Daily Mail RBS Schools title in five years following successes in the Under-15 Cup in 2006 and Under-18 Vase the following season. They were good value for their latest win with half backs Douglas Heseltine and James Mitchell playing prominent roles.
Sandbach completed a successful day for Cheshire thanks to tries from Scotland Under-17 flanker Will Bordill and number eight Rory Prentice. Sandbach’s victory meant a double celebration for Lymm’s coaching team of Tom Hughes and Lee Pickles, both former Sandbach pupils.
ALDERMASTON SCHOOLS TAG TOURNAMENT
Aldermaston Rugby Club welcomed youngsters to their sixth annual tag tournament, which drew teams from around the area with pool matches for upper and lower age ranges, followed by group winners’ finals. In the upper age group the pool winners were not decided until the very last set of matches and eventually Aldermaston, winners for the past two seasons, took on new entrants Tadley School in the final. Tadley, enthusiastically cheered on by parents and staff, managed to end Aldermaston’s winning streak, with a polished performance. The lower age group final was contested by Burnham Copse and Whitelands. Burnham Copse just pipped the opposition to win by one try. Digger the London Irish mascot was on joined in the fun, and Aldermaston Juniors Secretary Angus Scott presented the trophies to the winning sides and goody bags to all other entrants.
Bridgewater High & Mighty
Tony Simpson
Finalists – Bridgewater (blue) and St Benedict’s (red).
BRIDGEWATER High School from Warrington carried of this season’s Northern Under 14 State Schools tournament at Tynedale RFC when they beat St Benedict’s from Whitehaven 19-0 in the final. Eight teams nominated by the six Northern Counties contested the event at Tynedale Park – hosts Northumberland Yorkshire had two entries – with Bridgewater and St Benedict’s qualifying for the final from the group games. The competition has run annually since 1993 with Counties selecting their teams to represent them at this prestigious North Festival. Tamara Taylor, just back from the England Women’s team victory over France in their Six Nations Championship success, was one of the referees on duty at the tournament.
Other results included:
Guiseley (Yorkshire) 26 Hutton (Lancashire) 0,
Egglescliff (Durham) 17 Ponteland (Northumberland) 7,
Harrogate HS (Yorkshire) 33 QEHS, Hexham (Northumberland) 0
