State Schools Rugby Festival
Oct 18, 2024
Winners! Follow the link above.October 19/20th is a big rugby weekend for OSH.Good luck to our senior rugby squad who this weekend participate in the Inaugural Invitational John Fisher State Schools Festival.Hoping to bring home some silverware, they’ll travel to South London and take on 11 of the best state school U18 rugby teams in the country. Further information is available at https://online.flippingbook.com/view/350468340/.All matches will be streamed live at https://nextgenxv.com/2024/10/05/schools-rugby-inaugural-john-fisher-state-schools-festival-2024-draw with OSH mostly playing on Pitch 2.Be sure to cheer on the OSH Boys!Old Swinford Hospital sealed the title at the inaugural John Fisher State Schools Festival on Sunday after an epic two days of rugby in some testing conditions.Two days of rain and howling wind hit South East London, but the teams on the field were not put off by it one bit as they showed the very best of themselves in an epic tournament.John Fisher have pulled together a tournament that will now only grow and grow as a showcase for the state school game. Twelve sides gathered, split into two groups of six, with those groups taking us through the whole of Saturday and then Sunday morning.It was a structure that saw Group 1 in particular look unbelievably competitive, not least at the top end where both The Judd and Northampton School for Boys went through unbeaten – Judd qualifying top of the group after the two had drawn 5-5 because NSB already had a draw to their name, a 0-0 against Whitchurch High School.That was how tight this competition was. Over in the Pool 2, Old Swinford Hospital were playing some really good rugby despite the conditions as they made their way through the group unbeaten.That would see them and The Judd meet in the final, but before that came the play off rounds – every side playing their counterpart finisher from the other pool for their final place.Skinners’ secured 11th ahead of Langley Park, with a brilliant performance from Campion securing 9th ahead of Wimbledon College, 38-0 – one of the best performances of the weekend.Ivybridge Community College toppled the hosts John Fisher in the 7th place play off for a 10-3 victory, and things really tightened up in the 5th place play off as Lancaster RGS beat Whitchurch High School 3-0.Over in the third place game Northampton School for Boys sealed the Plate after a fantastic performance against Ravens Wood to win 22-5. They had been outstanding throughout the weekend, so silverware felt like a justified outcome for the East Midlands side.In the final though it was an epic contest between two sides that have been superb all season in Old Swinford Hospital and The Judd. It was a tight contest throughout before a late try for Old Swinford Hospital just stretched the score out a little to 12-0, but The Judd deserve huge credit for their performance throughout the two days.Ultimately though, Old Swinford Hospital were outstanding all weekend. Deserved champions after going through the whole tournament unbeaten – and through the second day without even conceding a point.Above all the action though was the sense that this was a seismic moment for state school rugby, a moment that showcased the best of it, that demonstrated just how good state schools rugby is, and what it can be.An incredible inaugural John Fisher State Schools Festival.Champions: Old Swinford Hospital1 Old Swinford Hospital2 The Judd3 Northampton School for Boys4 Ravens Wood5 Lancaster RGS6 Whitchurch High7 Ivybridge Community College8 John Fisher9 Campion10 Wimbledon College11 Skinners’12 Langley Park