HSBC Emerging Schools Hertfordshire County Finals

15 schools were represented at the finals of the Hertfordshire HSBC Emerging Schools Finals held at the superb facilities of St Albans School on Friday 13^th March. In total there were 20 teams and 292 players aged between 11 and 14 playing for the right to represent Hertfordshire in the Regional Finals of this national competition which culminates with a final at Twickenham. 

Rob Hardwick, Chairman of Youth Rugby in Hertforshire was impressed with the standard of rugby which was very high this year. Rob commented that it was an endorsement of the huge effort put in by PE staff and Hertfordshire Community Rugby team over the last few years to raise standards at emerging rugby playing schools. 

In the end, the winners in each category were as follows: 

• Year 7 Shield: Winners – Sandringham, St Albans.

• Year 7 Trophy Winners – St Clement Dane, Chorleywood.

• Year 8 Shield Winners – Sheredes, Hoddesdon.

• Year 9 Trophy Winners – Nicholas Breakspear, St Albans.

• Year 9 Shield Winners – St Michaels, Watford.

With the emphasis on development of rugby in schools, the refereeing duties were undertaken by 6^th form students from Richard Hale school who performed superbly

Hertfordshire Schools at Wembley

Nine schools teams from Hertfordshire took to the world famous Wembley Stadium turf last week as part of the rugby festival that was a unique curtain-raiser to Barbarians v Australia match.

Pupils from Francis Combe (Watford), Sir John Lawes (Harpenden), Sandringham (St Albans), Knights Templar (Baldock), Mount Grace (Potters Bar), The Priory (Hitchin), Fearnhill (Letchworth), Greneway School (Royston) and Wheatfields Junior School (St Albans) were among more than 1300 school children in the London North / Barbarians festival designed to generate interest among players either new or recently introduced to the game.

Some of the children met England flanker Joe Worsley at the end of a fast and fun day's action organised jointly by the RFU's London North development team and the Barbarians in which the teams played 10-a-side matches lasting 10 minutes each. Year 5 and 6 teams played Tag rugby, and Years 7 to 10 took part in the contact version with scrums and line-outs. 

All the schools teams, parents and supporters were able to stay on to watch the evening match which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Olympic rugby competition won by Australia at the London Games of 1908.