Kirkham Grammar School claimed the Sedbergh Super 10s title on Monday for the first time since 2003, ending a run of three successive victories for the hosts, Sedbergh, in the process.
Sensational through Day 1, Kirkham Grammar stepped up even further on Day 2 as the rain came hammering down, suiting their game perfectly with a pack of forwards that were happy to go toe to toe with anyone and a fly half in Tom Lee who was prepared to play the corners when the more extravagant play was cut off.
It worked to perfection as they topped a tricky Cup Group B ahead of Ipswich, QEGS Wakefield, and, in particular, Barnard Castle, against whom they had an absolute cracker around midday, finishing up 7-0 in Kirkham’s favour, a result that gave them one foot in the final.
On the other side Sedbergh topped their pool ahead of Brighton College, Seaford College, and Stamford. It was a challenging Group A though for them, all three sides put in massive performances against the hosts, not least Brighton College, for whom Charlie Clare was absolutely magnificent, yapping away constantly too and earning himself the Player of the Tournament award come the end of the day, fitting reward for a fine series of performances.
What was also fitting was the way Brighton College went about their business for their final game of the day against Stamford. It was John Pope’s final day of rugby with the school after 50 years of involvement and so Director of Rugby Nick Buoy stepped aside to leave the coaching to his elder colleague, with all the staff joining the players in the warm up as Pope led things before being applauded onto the field. In an extra touch, Buoy had previously made sure the starting side would be made up entirely of U6th leavers.
Nothing could summarise the spirit of this Sedbergh Super 10s tournament better, it was all about that celebration of rugby, and of an end of an era for those playing, or indeed coaching, in their final games for their schools.
The action on the field was epic, Sedbergh v Brighton College was an astonishing game, so too Kirkham Grammar v Barnard Castle, and a great many others, but ultimately it was those two huge northern powerhouses that would reach the final after topping the groups, Kirkham Grammar and Sedbergh.
It was fitting, too. These two had met in the last final here pre-Covid, with Sedbergh in mesmeric form for a comfortable victory to earn a third title in a row, and a fourth in five years. Indeed this was their sixth final in a row.
Kirkham Grammar School might not have had that final on the their minds this year, but they did have a narrow miss in this year’s Schools Cup Final very much on the mind, not to mention a strong run at the St Joseph’s Festival that eventually finished early.
There was confidence to be borne from that too though, and in having had an unbeaten regular season, and that confidence, allied to the determination to get over the final hurdle this time, saw them turn the result around from that 2019 final and to storm to an absolutely outstanding 25-7 victory.
From start to finish they were magnificent, with kick offs in particular a real source of success for them. In Yande Nkonge and Tom Lee they had two of the tournament’s top players, but in the final it was all about the big second row Huw Davies, who bagged a hat-trick. With each try that was scored so too did the intensity of the celebrations as this impressive group of young men first achieved momentum, and then began to realise that they were going to achieve the ultimate and claim the title.
Sedbergh gave it everything, and have some wonderful tales of their own to tell from this tournament. Not least how great it was to see skipper Ollie Spencer back in a Sedbergh shirt on home turf after such a long injury lay off.
The school as a whole put on a wonder of a two day event, on and off the field they went the extra mile to give each team the very best possible weekend and to celebrate the end of school rugby careers for so many.
This sleepy town in Cumbria simply lives and breathes rugby and this tournament ends the season here magnificently, but it ends it for schools in general magnificently. There are certain staging posts in a school season, and without question the Sedbergh 10s is one of the most important of all of them. More importantly it has ambitions to be even greater, the limit is sky high.
For the players, it’s a jewel in the crown, and for Kirkham that crown must be sitting very nicely indeed right now.
Of course there was more than just the Cup competition, the Plate competition also took place on Monday, with RGS High Wycombe emerging from a group containing Hurstpierpoint College, KES Bath, and Hampton, whom they performed so well against to progress to the final.
Facing RGS in the final would be Felsted, who topped the pile in a group containing Dulwich College, Cokethorpe, and King’s Macclesfield. In the final RGS High Wycombe got off to an absolute flyer, but Felsted fought and clawed their way back to 24-17, and even had possession at one point with the game in the balance. However RGS held on to claim the title in a Plate competition that they had all day looked unbelievably strong in – little wonder, for they were just a whisker away from Cup qualification.
Ultimately though that Cup competition is where history is made, this tournament has had some wonderful teams win it, and the list of those that do it is small. Sedbergh have done so 7 times, Millfield 6, and SGS Filton College 3, besides them there were four one-time winners. Now though Kirkham Grammar School join that elite group of multiple winners, 2003 and 2022, and it will feel oh so sweet after so many near misses.
For Kirkham though, and for all the others, this was all about making last memories and enjoying your last days of school rugby, and from all 16 schools, that was certainly the overriding feeling.
Day 2 Results
Cup
Champions: Kirkham Grammar School
Final
Kirkham Grammar 25-7 Sedbergh
Group Standings:
Group A
1 Sedbergh
2 Brighton College
3 Seaford College
4 Stamford
Sedbergh 15-5 Stamford
Sedbergh 24-19 Brighton College
Sedbergh 19-12 Seaford College
Brighton College 22-5 Stamford
Brighton College
Seaford College 26-7 Stamford
Group B
1 Kirkham Grammar
2 Ipswich
3 Barnard Castle
4 QEGS Wakefield
Kirkham Grammar 26-0 QEGS Wakefield
Kirkham Grammar 7-0 Barnard Castle
Kirkham Grammar 29-5 Ipswich
Barnard Castle 31-24 Ipswich
Barnard Castle 45-7 QEGS Wakefield
Ipswich 14-12 QEGS Wakefield
Plate
Winners: RGS High Wycombe
Final
RGS High Wycombe 24-17 Felsted
Group 1
1 RGS High Wycombe
2 Hampton
3 KES Bath
4 Hurstpierpoint College
RGS High Wycombe 65-0 KES Bath
RGS High Wycombe 38-0 Hurstpierpoint College
RGS High Wycombe 36-5 Hampton
Hampton 22-5 Hurstpierpoint College
Hampton 26-5 KES Bath
KES Bath 19-14 Hurstpierpoint College
Group 2
1 Felsted
2 King’s Macclesfield
3 Cokethorpe
4 Dulwich College
Felsted 43-7 Dulwich College
Felsted 35-7 Cokethorpe
Felsted 17-0 King’s Macclesfield
King’s Macclesfield 10-7 Dulwich College
King’s Macclesfield 31-5 Cokethorpe
