Rugby School launches 200th celebration

RUGBY School will begin celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the creation of the game by launching The Global Pass, which will see 200 passes of an anniversary ball around the World through 2023 at various different events.

It gets underway today on The Close, the field holding the famous pitches where William Webb Ellis is said to have first picked up and ran with a football in 1823.

Among those passing the ball will England stars Mike Tindall and Emily Scarratt, RFU President Nigel Gillingham, current boys and girls captains David Bennett and Livi Williams and executive headmaster of the Rugby School Group Peter Green.

Green said: “I have been a lifelong supporter of rugby and have always been struck by the strong and enduring friendship that the game fosters, its sense of community and inclusivity wherever it is played, and the trust in each other that teams demonstrate on the pitch.

“All of us at Rugby School are proud that the game of rugby – our game – is played and enjoyed by so many people.”

On the pitch this week the 15-a-side season was winding down, but Manchester Grammar beat Bolton 47-17 to reach the Lancashire County Plate semi-final while, down south, Hampton hammered last season’s Daily Mail Trophy third-placed team St. Benedict’s 41-3 in their Friday night London derby, and in the NextGenXV Spring League Gordon’s kept up their impressive form with a 29-7 win at Hayes School.

The 7s season begins in earnest today at South Coast 7s, with Brighton heading up group one in the cup competition after they won last year’s competition to add to their first triumph in 2018.

They will be alongside Canford, who they defeated 33-17 in last year’s thrilling final, with St. Jo’s festival winners Millfield also in the group.

In group two 2020 champions Whitchurch High who have made the trip from Wales, looking to regain the title taken off them last year.