“Wear the navy and light blue hoops with pride”: awards and inspiration served up at 2026 Rugby Dinner

The Rugby Dinner featured inspirational speeches, startling statistics and honours for all ages – but most of all, the evening was about celebrating the love of a great game.

Hundreds of boys from across the year groups gathered in the Shearly Hall for a programme that included the eagerly awaited announcement of the QE Rugby Team of the Year.

And guest speaker, Old Elizabethan Max Hassell (2002–2009) gave a stirring address, urging today’s QE players: “Remember, you’re not just representing yourself and your teammates, but a long line of former pupils who have made that shirt what it is today…Whatever you put in, rugby – and this School – will give back to you tenfold.  And whatever you do, please don’t lose to Habs!”

Headmaster Neil Enright afterwards lauded a “brilliant” evening. “Rugby’s core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship are what makes the game special for those who enjoy the environment and culture they create,” he said. “They resonate deeply with the mission of Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet which is to produce young men who are confident, able and responsible.”

During the dinner, attendees also learned about the benefits of schools rugby – that, for example, 69% of players reported being more confident, according to research.

They were told that so far this season, more than 400 pupils had represented QE across some 22 different teams.

There were presentations of prizes for boys in Years 7–11, for the Second XV and for the First XV. Awards went to: the Most improved player; Players’ player (for both the A and B teams in Years 7–11); and Player of the season.

The achievements of boys awarded their Senior Colours were celebrated, while there was also praise for the Sports Leaders – senior pupils whose contribution has included managing Year 7 boys in their rugby fixtures, as well as coaching training on Friday afternoons.

Guest speaker Max recalled growing up within earshot of the School: “I could hear the firsts and second teams playing on a Saturday afternoon from my garden, and as odd as it may sound, dreamt one day it would be me on those pitches.”

His dream was realised a few years later when he won a place at QE. While in Year 7, he idolised sixth-former Aaron Liffchak (OE 1996–2003), the “England U18 star of the School”. Some years later, Aaron coached Max “to a silver medal in one of my proudest-ever life achievements – representing Great Britain Rugby at the Maccabiah Games in Israel, an international sports tournament held every for four years for Jewish athletes from all around the word, second in size only to the Olympics and Commonwealth Games”.

Max had played for the School, the county and the University of Bristol, and he had had “the honour of both representing my country and captaining my current club, Saracens Amateurs”.

His talent was recognised at an early stage, as he was made Year 7 captain. “I remember we had an almost unbeaten season, winning every game except a narrow 3-0 loss to St Albans. I’m proud to remember I have never lost to Habs [QE’s traditional friendly rugby rival, Haberdashers’ Boys’ School]!”

The evening culminated with the naming of the following boys, drawn from across the School, for the QE Rugby Team of the Year, 2025–2026.

• Starting forwards: Thinuka Geeganage Kapugama, U16; Dhamma Singappuli, U15; Ashar Khan, U13; Vivann Reddy, U13; Cyrus Kiani, U13; Alfie Enderby, U14; Daniel Ogidi, U15; Esa Aslam, U16
• Starting backs: Victor Varbanov, First XV (Year 12); Andy Hasanaj, U14; Aarush Mehta, U13; Jake Owens, First XV (Year 13); Yashwant Reddy Sunkara, First XV (Year 12); Jerry Ju, U14; Carl Nkouka-Backa, U13.
• Replacements: Marcus Ingal, U14; Nazif Ashik, U12; Sachin Saddi, U14; Ronith Bala, U16; Oscar Kaltenbronn, First XV (Year 12); Emile Uju, U14; Edward Corcoran, U12; George Dhapre, U15.

The evening ended with a video highlights package from the year, plus some humorous segments, put together by Neelesh Fotedar, of Year 11.

The starting team of the year attended the Gallagher PREM fixture between Saracens and Newcastle Red Bulls the following day.

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