The ISRFC Lambs selection process continues on Sunday with the Regional Festival at Wisbech Grammar School.
The Festival sees the four regional sides, North, Midlands, South East, and South West, face each other in a round robin format. Following the conclusion of the six fixtures, the ISRFC Lambs 2017 National Squad will be selected.
That squad will play seven fixtures in the UK ahead of a wonderful four game tour of Canada over Easter, culminating in a fixture against Canada U18.
Ahead of Sunday’s Festival, each of the regions have taken part in warm up fixtures as they perfect the Lambs’ unique ‘Fast and Free’ brand of rugby.
The four regions have selected squads of varying sizes, the North squad is 26 strong, with a number of schools having multiple representatives. Kirkham Grammar have three players in the squad following their unbeaten season, while Hymers College also have three, as do Yarm. There are a remarkable four Woodhouse Grove players in the squad, with Pocklington also having four representatives, a wonderful achievement.
The Midlands squad is one player smaller, with 25 players selected. Royal Hospital School have a remarkable five players in the squad, with Berkhamsted not far behind with their four representatives. The Perse, meanwhile, have three players in the 25-man squad.
The South East squad is slightly more bloated, with 29 players making the trip to Wisbech Grammar School. St Joseph’s College and Pangbourne College lead the way in terms of players, with four representatives in the squad each. Harrow, meanwhile have three, as do Reed’s, while Caterham, Kent College, Mill Hill, and Trinity each have two players in the squad.
The South West squad is the smallest squad of the four, with just 24 players selected. Canford and Millfield are each represented by three players, with a number of schools having two players in the squad, including the unbeaten KES Bath, and well as Wellington School, King’s College Taunton, Canford School, Clayesmore, and Queen’s College Taunton.
The Festival begins with training for the four regions in the morning ahead of the first fixtures at 14.00, which will see the Midlands face the South West on pitch one and the North take on the South East on Pitch 2.
The second games start at 14.45, the Midlands are again on pitch 1, facing the South East, while the South West move to pitch two to take on the North. The final round of games are at 15.30, with the North taking on the Midlands on pitch 1 and the South West facing the South East on pitch 2.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s Festival, Lambs National Director Alex Laybourne said:
“We are really excited to be holding a Regional Festival this year. By pitting all four of the Regions against each other we are looking forward to some excellent ‘Fast and Free’ rugby as well as a great atmosphere. Certainly, having seen the Regions train and play before this weekend, we can expect a fantastic showcase of school boy rugby and a very competitive environment.”
ISRFC Lambs Regional Festival Fixtures:
Pitch 1: (14.00) Midlands v South West, (14.45) Midlands v South East, (15.30) Midlands v North.
Pitch 2: (14.00) North v South East, (14.45) North v South West, (15.30) South West v South East
ISRFC Lambs Regional Squads:
| North | |
| Name | School |
| Forwards | |
| Alexander Lewis-Booth | Kirkham Grammar School |
| Oliver Liebster | Giggleswick School |
| Matthew Joslin | Hymers College |
| Matthew Gallagher | KIrkham Grammar School |
| Ryan Gibson | Woodhouse Grove School |
| Oscar Hardman | Hymers College |
| Will Hirstwood | Cheadle Hulme |
| Ewan Naylor | Kirkham Grammar School |
| Tom Greaves | Barnard Castle School |
| Louis Fraser | Woodhouse Grove School |
| Ben Waddington | Woodhouse Grove School |
| Guy Whittaker | Hymers College |
| Toby Stephenson | Pocklington School |
| Will Johnson | Yarm School |
| Backs | |
| Sam Newton | Durham School |
| Dom Pott | Yarm School |
| Archie Hancock | Giggleswick School |
| Elliot Adamson | Pocklington School |
| Jack Sheehy | GSAL |
| Jonty Atkinson | Pocklington School |
| Jack Garvin | Pocklington School |
| Will Yates | Queen Ethelburga’s |
| Luca Devittoris | Woodhouse Grove School |
| Henry Wright | Queen Ethelburga’s |
| Nicholas Bell | GSAL |
| James Burdon | Yarm School |
| Midlands | |
| Name | School |
| Charlie Adams | King Henry VIII, Coventry |
| Tobias Allday | Royal Hospital School |
| Hugo Brown | Felsted |
| George Carter | Berkhamsted |
| Dekoye Coker | St Edwards Oxford |
| Tommie Collingwood | Denstone College |
| Finlay Cripps | Berkhamsted |
| Charlie Ewen | Royal Hospital School |
| Ed Fletcher | Royal Hospital School |
| William Garrad | King’s Ely |
| Matt Harris | Berkhamsted |
| Joshua Hart | Denstone College |
| Cedric Hoskyns-Abrahall | Royal Hospital School |
| Sam Howell | Wellingborough School |
| Sam Knight | Wrekin College |
| Milo Linney | Uppingham |
| Louis McManus | The Perse School |
| James Peachey | Stamford |
| Cameron Pope | Berkhamsted |
| Luke Pritchard-Barrett | Framlingham College |
| Jack Rye | Felsted |
| Toby Buckland | Royal Hospital School |
| Will Tyrrell | The Perse School |
| Didi Vidal-Adegun | Bishop’s Stortford College |
| Tom Whitehead | The Perse School |
| South East | |
| Name | School |
| Conor McNeil | Caterham |
| Che Ochugboju | Caterham |
| Chris Harris | Colfe’s School |
| Odi Oladuji | Dulwich College |
| Josh Clark-Bell | Epsom College |
| William Heywood | Harrow School |
| Alex du Sautoy | Harrow School |
| Fabian Dobree | Harrow School |
| Matthew Houppermans | Highgate School |
| Daniel Marsik | Kent College Canterbruy |
| Lewis Hewitt | Kent College Canterbruy |
| Adam Smith | Kingham Hill School |
| Jake Sugg | Mill Hill School |
| Jack Fitzpatrick | Mill Hill School |
| Alex Leeder | Norwich School |
| Louis Ellis | Pangbourne College |
| Matthew Atkins | Pangbourne College |
| Ollie Jones | Pangbourne College |
| Alexander Zenda | Pangbourne College |
| Tom Prigmore | Reed’s |
| Alec O’Connor | Reed’s |
| Ryan Aujla | Reed’s |
| Anton Limlei | St Joseph’s College Ipswich |
| Max Taylor Calver | St Joseph’s College Ipswich |
| Ewan Kingdon | St Joseph’s College Ipswich |
| Leo Lewis | St Joseph’s College Ipswich |
| Thomas Petty | Trinity School |
| Toby Forrestor | Trinity School |
| Thomas Sanders | University College School |
| South West | |
| Name | School |
| William Laver | Milton Abbey School |
| Ben Johnson | Wellington School |
| Charlie Agbo | King’s College Taunton |
| Will Bird | Taunton school |
| George Leggett | Canford School |
| George Vasey | Clayesmore School |
| Eliot Berryman | Millfield |
| Ben Mallett | Millfield |
| Ben Howe | Wellington School |
| David Marsh | King Edward VI School |
| Patrick Regan | Canford School |
| Tom Wood | Millfield |
| George Hartson | Wycliffe College |
| Adam Harrison | Queen’s College, Taunton |
| Max Tipping | Clayesmore School |
| Tom Pittman | King’s College Taunton |
| Toby Hett | Canford School |
| Christopher Seaby | King Edward VI School |
| Jamie Thorley | Cheltenham College |
| Eddie Jenkinson | Portsmouth Grammar |
| Rafe Yewdall | Sherborne |
| Tristan May | Exeter School |
| Jack Guy | Queen’s College, Taunton |
| Thom Leman | Plymouth College |