As work progresses on a new rugby stadium in the Far East that will be the world’s largest, Year 8 pupils saw behind the scenes at the current holder of that crown, the mighty Twickenham.
The boys had the chance to see how the 82,000-capacity Allianz Stadium Twickenham –the world’s biggest dedicated rugby union venue – was built.
Their day in south-west London included a tour of Twickenham that also involved visits to the England changing rooms, going into the President’s Suite (Twickenham’s VIP facility), and learning about the history of the stadium.
Pupil Lele Cen said: “As I am interested in engineering, it was great to see the whole stadium. It was exciting to see how it was constructed and how in the VIP area they have glass where people can look out, but not look in.”
The day began at Rosslyn Park FC, where pupils took part in a lively training session led by members of the club’s U23 squad. This gave the boys the opportunity to develop their rugby skills while focusing on teamwork, communication and decision-making.
After lunch, the group travelled to Twickenham and took a guided stadium tour, offering them a glimpse behind the scenes in areas normally reserved for players, officials and VIP guests, as well as a visit to the Rose and Poppy Memorial Gates, unveiled in 2016 as a tribute to rugby players from around the world who have lost their lives in war.
The day concluded with a visit to the World Rugby Museum, in the stadium’s south stand, where pupils explored the rich history and development of the game. Interactive exhibits and historical displays brought rugby’s traditions and evolution to life.
Lele’s fellow Year 8 pupil, Kai Hau, said his time at Rosslyn Park had shown him “how much work goes into a training session”. He added that he had enjoyed touring Twickenham, including “the privilege to go to the President’s Suite and sit in the area that royalty sat in to watch the game”.
PE teacher Nicholas Langley-Pope, who organised the day, said: “The trip was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to develop their rugby knowledge, enhance their practical skills, and experience the history and culture of the sport first-hand. The pupils represented the School exceptionally well throughout the day and should be commended for their engagement, behaviour, and enthusiasm.”
Noah’s victory came as he competed for the very first time in an individual capacity.
Yaw, who is in Year 9, started fencing when he was in Year 7. He won his bronze medal after coming in joint-third place at the championships.
After the QE boys first saw off Woking High School, their strong bowling attack then propelled them to victory against Shenfield High School from Essex, with both matches hosted by Eton College.
After that, in the regional stage hosted by Caterham School in Surrey, they first comfortably saw off Midhurst Rother College, West Sussex, and then delivered a six-wicket win against Tiffin School, Kingston upon Thames, to go through to the last 16.
Ibrohim took the top prize in the -37kg Class A Cadet category in an event which attracted more than 500 athletes.
His previous achievements include winning a silver medal last autumn in the -37kg novice category at the British Taekwondo National Kyorugi Championships in Sheffield and, before that, taking gold in a sparring competition, also at Sophia Gardens.
Here, although there was no repeat of the triumphs of QE’s last visit, in 2024 – when the U15s recorded the School’s first-ever overall victory in the festival and the U14s won the bowl competition – the Year 9s’ wins did include beating host team Hilversum.
“These activities strengthened team bonding and made for memorable experiences,” said Mr Di-Lieto.