Triple triumphs in rugby

There were three major successes for QE on the rugby field this term – all in the space of one week.

The U12 team won the Broxbourne Festival after a gap of 13 years. Eben Sarpong scored eight tries in the tournament. “This was a wonderful result for boys in the first year of their rugby careers and they were outstandingly led by captain Thomas Archbold,” said Games teacher Tom Vercoe.

In the year above, the U13 Sevens squad took the Hertfordshire County Trophy after six gruelling games at St Albans Playing fields against opposition such as Bishop’s Stortford High School and finalists Haileybury School. Their counterparts at under-16 [pictured] also won their County Trophy, amassing 261 points in six games and only conceding 38. They beat Bishop’s Stortford College 37 – 7 in the final.

The U18 Sevens squad played some good rugby in the county tournament, but were beaten in the semi-finals by the eventual winners, Oaklands College.

  • This year, 37 schools entered the QE Rugby Sevens tournament, now in its 34th year. Bedford School won the U14 competition and RGS High Wycombe triumphed at U16 level.