Two teams from the Junior School were both crowned national champions at the finals of the country’s leading schools’ rugby tournament on Sunday 5th March; a rare achievement in any national competition. A total of 170 teams from over 80 schools had competed for a place in the final round and thousands of spectators, including former England Rugby Union Coach, Sir Clive Woodward OBE, braved the cold to watch the up-and-coming players of tomorrow battling it out in the 2006 National Schools’ Rugby Tournament held at Epsom College, Epsom. 

The College U11s and U9s both dominated the day, winning through to their respective final match without conceding a point. In the U9 group stages, the College team beat Homefield (Surrey) 20-0 and Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (Wakefield) 5-0 before going on to win the quarter-final 10-0 against Dumpton School (Dorset) and the semi-final 10-0 against St John’s-on-the-Hill (Chepstow). In the final game, they faced Shrewsbury School, winners of the U9 national title for the past two years. In an exciting match finishing 10 points to 5, the College centre, George Silk, produced an incredible run from behind his own try line to score the winning try. 

In the U11 age group, the College shared the national title with Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (Wakefield) following a 7-7 draw in the final match. In the group stage, they beat Shrewsbury House 14-0 and St George’s, Weybridge 28-0 before defeating last year’s winners, Ridgeway (Berkshire) 7-0 in the quarter-final and Chinthurst (Surrey) 12-0 in the semi-finals. Every player contributed to the team’s success but winger Joss Linney scoring a try in every game was a particularly impressive achievement.

Team coaches, Mike Crossley (U11) and Callum Douglas (U9) attributed the double success to a number of factors. “We have some very able and determined players and the standard of coaching at the College is excellent across all the age groups. We are also fortunate that within our school timetable there is the time and space for sport and extra-curricular activities alongside academic work. In fact, we have the opportunity to practise for over four and a half hours a week on the rugby field. Added to this, we have a strong and very positive link with the local rugby clubs which we value greatly.”

“We are very proud of the teams’ achievements,” added John Greathead, Head of the Junior School. “Winning two national titles in a tournament of this standing is a wonderful testament to the dedication and talent of both our players and coaches.”