By Matt Wright
Whitgift School rugby development officer Henry Wheadon felt his players’ extra fitness paid off after they reached the final of the Continental Tyres Schools U15 Cup final with a thrilling 24-21 win over Millfield School.
A semi-final between two heavyweights in schools’ rugby at Aylesbury RFC did not disappoint as Whitgift recovered from a 14-10 half-time deficit, with Flynn Robertson’s try being added to by a Josh Vowles penalty.
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Antoine Tiers’ edged them ahead momentarily, but Millfield regained their lead and it was only a late score from tighthead prop Max Nodder that settled what was a barnstorming contest.
Wheadon said: “We worked the boys quite hard and did a lot of fitness training, which I’m not sure they enjoyed too much, but in that last 10-15 minutes, when we had to dig deep and defend for large periods, that came through.
“We also worked specifically on a few things in defence – which I won’t say – but the boys nailed it today.
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“I thought they dominated a good number of collisions against a very good Millfield side.”
The competition pits schools from all across the country against each other, aiming to increase participation.
As of March 2, the number of Age Grade players is up 6% year on year at 181,453, with a huge 14% increase in girl’s registrations.
Whitgift School will now play Northampton School for Boys in the final, which will be played at the Trailfinders Sports Ground in Ealing on Wednesday March 18.
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Whitgift captain George Speers, 15, said: “It feels amazing. It was such a good game and they’re a great team. It was a really hard-fought win.
“The tempo was electric, it was hard work out there and I’m so proud of the boys.
“The boys had been really focused all week in the build-up, we were really excited for it, and I think the main message was go out there and do what we plan on doing, and we did that really well.
“We’re going to prepare for the final just as hard as we did for this game. We can’t wait for it.”
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Steve Grainger, RFU executive director of rugby development, said: “Schools rugby plays a hugely important role in the game in England.
“For many young people, it’s the first time they pick up a rugby ball, and often the place where they fall in love with the sport and everything it stands for.
“Competitions like the Continental Tyres Schools Cup give students the chance to create lifelong memories with their teammates and experience the excitement of knockout rugby, which is why it remains such an important part of the pathway into the sport.”
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The Continental Tyres Schools Cup is a vital part of the age-grade rugby landscape, with schools’ rugby often where players fall in love with the game for the first time. Catch all the latest highlights and updates from the competition by following @CommunityRugby.
