Two rugby trips took place over the October half term break. The U14 team embarked on a tour to Surrey and Kent, which included matches against The John Fisher School in Purley and Langley Park School for Boys in Bromley. While the primary objective of the annual U14 rugby tour is always to enhance rugby skills, an equally important focus is to cultivate camaraderie off the field through various engaging team-building experiences. This year’s itinerary included a behind-the-scenes visit to Harlequins Rugby Club, where pupils had the opportunity to observe a 1st team in training. Additional activities featured ten-pin bowling, Go Ape, and go-karting.
Meanwhile, the U15 squad participated in the Langley School National 15-a-side Festival in East Anglia. The tournament took place over two days, with teams from around the UK competing in a round-robin format on the first day, followed by a restructured pool on the second day based on the initial results. Our squad triumphed in all their matches on day one, securing victories against The John Fisher School, Hurstpierpoint College, Dame Allan School, and the hosts, Langley School. This success allowed the squad to progress to face Bedford School and Wellington College on day two. Although they faced defeat in both matches, the squad officially finished third overall, marking the highest-ever ranking achieved by an Abingdon squad in this festival.
Additionally, we celebrated further achievements during the half term as Fifth Years Zach and Seb represented Gloucester Rugby U16s in representative trial matches against Bath Rugby U16s. This accomplishment highlights their talent and provides a significant learning opportunity for their future development in the sport.
