Rhubarb Issue 12: November 2023

E arlier this year we asked you to get in touch if you played in an unbeaten team while you were at Teddies.Thank you to all those who contacted us with memories and photos. This is by no means a comprehensive list of the unbeaten teams (possibly a feature for another issue of Rhubarb !) but we hope you enjoy reading people’s memories and the pride they felt of being part of a winning side.

UNBEATEN SEASONS

Do get in touch if your unbeaten team isn’t featured below and we would be happy to include it next time.

AN ARCHIVIST’S PERSPECTIVE By Chris Nathan (Segar’s, 1954-1957) T racking results and

colleges, military establishments and scratch teams (often including internationals) and it wasn't until the late 1920s that they started to play against other schools on a regular basis.Therefore, being defined as undefeated varied depending on the decade it was recorded and whether the criteria was ‘against all matches or ‘against peer schools only’. Reviewing girls’ sports has also had its challenges. In many of the early years there were few external fixtures, limited competition and poorly recorded results. Our records are not always as accurate as we would wish! If you are visiting the School then you are welcome to look at the Sporting Archive Albums that are located in the Martyrs Pavilion and contain the results for all the rugby, hockey, rowing and cricket teams, some dating back to 1873! Also, check out the Digital Archives where you

FEATURE

identifying ‘undefeated teams’ is incredibly difficult.The recording of sporting results has always relied on individual coaches and the criteria as to what constitutes an ‘unbeaten season’ has changed over the years. For example, not all rowing races were recorded, and some minor regattas were missed off altogether. It wasn't until the early 1930s that the School started to row in VIIIs rather than IVs and some School crews hardly raced at all, so could be termed ‘undefeated' even if they had only competed in one race!

can find old team and house photos, sports shields and copies of Rhubarb magazine and the Chronicle: www.stedwardsarchives.org or scan the QR code.

In Rugby Football for many years right up to the Great War and beyond, the 1st XV played Oxford

UNBEATEN MEMORIES FROMOSE

1968 CRICKET 1st XI CHRIS NORTHCOTE-GREEN (Sing’s, 1963-1968)

1963-64 RUGBY U14 & Junior Colts CHRIS NORTHCOTE-GREEN (Sing’s, 1963-1968)

1968 Cricket 1st XI Team

Peter ‘Bubbles’ Corlett

T he 1968 Cricket XI remained unbeaten during the season. However, it could be said the gloss was taken off this achievement because of the appalling weather, resulting in a number of matches being abandoned or ending in rain-affected draws. The cricket festival at the end of the term which included Radley, Oundle and Wellington was badly interrupted which was a great disappointment. The side had strength in depth with a number of players from the successful 1967 XI which, with the exception of losing to the Oxford University Authentics, was also unbeaten. The XI was ably captained by Pete Thackeray who went on to get an Oxford Blue in Imran Khan’s side and later to become master in charge of cricket at Eton.This, I believe, led to the Teddies/Eton game becoming the regular fixture it is today.

I recall the Under 14 and Junior Colts rugger XVs of 1963 and 1964 respectively being unbeaten as well as the 3rd XV of 1966 which was inspired by Roger Lawrence’s coaching (a quadruple scissors leading to a try against a bewildered Pangbourne 2nd XV on Upper 1 comes readily to mind!) To celebrate the successful Under 14 season, the master in charge Peter “Bubbles” Corlett took the team to the Kidlington airfield where he kept his Chipmunk plane. Prior to tea, Bubbles took a number of boys whose fathers were in the RAF for a flight over the airfield and surrounding area. A memorable day indeed for a 13 year old.

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