SE CHRONICLE 684

64 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Rugby 7s By Rob Cottrell, Former Head of Rugby The 1st VII once again enjoyed a tremendous season, relishing the expansive and free-flowing format of the game that Teddies athletes often excel at. The start of the season saw a friendly tournament at Pangbourne which resulted in easy wins over Magdalen College School and Pangbourne before facing a strong Eton side, which allowed us to set the foundations for the bigger tournaments at Oakham Sevens and Surrey Sevens. Both tournaments challenged us physically and technically; at the latter tournament, we lost narrowly to Wellington College, who went on to reach the Final. The quality of the sides that we faced helped to ensure our best ever preparation for the National Schools’ tournament at the end of the Spring Term. Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens The 1st VII rugby team enjoyed a tremendously successful week at the annual Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens competition in March. It all began with the group stages, with 192 teams taking part in this draw of the tournament and no fewer than 10,000 players participating in the competition as a whole over five days. Teddies 1st VII topped their group with convincing wins over Weston College, Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School and the Coopers’ Company and Coborn School and, along with the other 47 group winners, they proceeded to the elimination round, which saw all 48 group winners pitted against one another. Having lost to a formidable King’s College Taunton, Teddies went on to play in the Bowl draw on Day 2 and faced Wallington County Grammar School on the main show pitch and SEEVIC College in the knockout pool stages. Two emphatic wins put Teddies through to the Quarter Finals where they faced the top rugby school in the country and Daily Mail Trophy holders, Berkhamsted. Their strength and physicality proved too much in the end, but in a draw that included the likes of St Peter’s York (previous finalists), Bromsgrove (last winners of the tournament) and Dollar Academy from Scotland (who went on to win the

Freddie Walton and Charlie Mason

extremely well for this year. Indeed, special mention must also go to Charlie Mason and Matt Sell, who were both in the Fifth Form, and belied their junior years to match the skill and intensity of some of the country’s best U18 schoolboy rugby players. Hamza Ali, Joshua Wilmot and Finn Cowan were stalwarts in defence, particularly Hamza who stunned the crowds and TV audience with his spectacular try-saving tackle against Wallingford CG School. Tom Niblett continued in his leadership role and, alongside Oliver Bilgutay, he put his devastating fend to great use and opened up gaps for players like Bertie Withers Green

title), Teddies can hold their heads up high having competed amongst the last eight teams of this calibre. The standout performances were undoubtedly by the two Tilly’s Sixth Formers, Freddie Walton and Oliver Sedgwick, the former scoring some of the best individual tries seen in a Teddies jersey with blistering pace and dazzling footwork. Oliver proved himself as a formidable all-round player with the defensive physicality to match his incisive runs and try-scoring ability. All 11 squad members were outstanding, and what is most promising is that only four of them left us in the summer, which bodes