This Sunday the bicentenary celebrations of Rugby Football continue at Rugby School with an exciting triple header of games.
Six sides will be in action, including England Men’s Deaf, The Lambs, The Commons & Lords XV, Rugby Club Dignois from France, and local sides Rugby Lions and Rugby District Veterans.
The last month has seen the celebrations of 200 years of the game really ramp up with the U18 International Schools 7s, the Warwickshire U14 7s, the Rugby School U9s 7s, U11 7s, and Monday’s Charity Vets 7s.
NextGenXV has been there to broadcast every one of those events, and on Sunday the live stream cameras will be there once again to broadcast all three games, with all available on the NextGenXV YouTube Channel and embedded below in this article.
Live Stream
Charity Support
The action will all be in support of the Atlas Foundation and the Rugby School 1823 Bursary. The Atlas Foundation exists to help deprived children work towards a better future through rugby communities. It is a launchpad for good and provides a platform that partners with local organisations that have a tangible impact on the daily lives of deprived young people.
Through health, education, and gender inclusion programmes and a large number of rugby initiatives, The Atlas Foundation provides safety, education, food, sport, guidance and community to thousands of children across five continents.
Founded & led by Rugby World Cup Champion Jason Leonard OBE, The Atlas Foundation’s work is led by the core rugby values of Integrity, Hard Work and Respect, and the Atlas Foundation is committed to getting practical help directly to those who need it. So far over £1 million has been raised, and over 50,000 children have been supported.
The Rugby School 1823 Bursary is in honour of William Webb Ellis, who was a bursary student. The bursary will offer means-tested places at Rugby School for boys or girls who show significant promise and aptitude for sport and a commitment to Rugby Football, with up to 100% of fees and essential extras available.
The Games
12.15pm
Commons and Lords v Rugby District Veterans
2pm
Rugby Lions v Rugby Club Dignois
3.45pm
England Men’s Deaf v The Lambs
The action kicks off at 12.15pm on Sunday as the Commons & Lords XV take to the field against Rugby District Veterans. The Commons & Lords side is made of active MPs and Lords as well as their staff, the likes of Chris Bryant MP, Johnny Mercer MP, and James Cleverley MP have played for them in recent times, meanwhile the Rugby District Veterans side is made up of Vets from the local area. All in all, a fun way for the afternoon’s activity to kick off.
At 2pm we see Rugby Lions, a great local club that has long had ties with Leicester Tigers, taking on Rugby Club Dignois, a French side from Pontlevoy, who will be hosting the Rugby Heritage Cup in September 2023, with schools from all of the countries participating in the 2023 Rugby World Cup attending.
The day finishes off at 3.45pm with a very special fixture as England Men’s Deaf, whose recent international against Jamaica was live streamed on NextGenXV, take on The Lambs, who will be fielding an old boys XV in their famous pink shirts.
It promises to be a superb, varied, and exciting day of rugby at the Birthplace of the game!
Coming Up
The 200 year celebrations continue throughout the month and indeed the year at Rugby School. On Wednesday 19th April Rugby’s U14s take on Wales’ Ysgol Gyfun Glantaf in the final of the School Sports Magazine U14 Cup, live streamed on NextGenXV, then on the 23rd April the World’s Largest Scrum will take place, with around 3000 expected to be involved. Five days later Mike Tindall MBE will host an audience with Matt Hampson at the school.
In June there is a re-enactment of the game on the 24th, along with two legends games, followed by a Celebration Ball later that evening. The week of June then sees The Close host a major public Festival of arts and education. On the 2nd July will begin the Webb Ellis Cycling Pilgrimage, a cycle from The Close to Menton, via Twickenham Stadium, from Webb Ellis’ school, to the national stadium, and then his resting place, Menton.
From September to December NextGenXV will be live streaming every Rugby School 1st XV game, and on the 18th November there will be an England and Wales vs Scotland and Ireland legends game, celebrating not just 200 years of the game but also 100 years since a match between those same two combined sides took place.
There will also be two very special games on the 7th and 9th December that will be live streamed as well.
