This 200th year of the game of Rugby Football continues LIVE here on NextGenXV this Saturday as we return again to The Close for Rugby School against Stowe School, 3pm Kick Off.
The Close is, of course, the playing fields at Rugby School where it all began, and Old Bigside the 1st XV pitch within it that will host Saturday’s encounter, which you can see LIVE on the NextGenXV YouTube Channel, and through the embedded video below.
As part of the Bicentenary Celebrations, as most reading this will know, Rugby School are hosting every single 1st XV game this season and live streaming them all as well, giving as many schools as possible the chance to be a part of the celebrations.
Of course that has made them one of the biggest games on the calendar for each and every visiting side, which has created some incredible games – all but one has been decided by fewer than 2 scores, two by fewer than 1 – but has meant this Rugby School side has had to dig so incredibly deep time and time again.
So the record may not look pretty, one win from five, but the performances, grittiness, quality of play, and the games in general have been absolutely fantastic. Victory over Oundle last week was superb, and Tuesday’s thriller against Eton College (see below) was another epic encounter.
Not attention turns to Stowe, a side that Rugby have a fantastic record against. In fact Stowe have not won at 1st XV level on The Close since 2005 (though the two did not meet between 2006 and 2016), and last year’s victory for Saturday’s visitors was actually their first of any kind at this level since then.
That victory last year will give Stowe real confidence though of victory on The Close finally, as will their exploits in recent times that have included the 2022 Schools Plate and Rosslyn Park National School 7s Vase. So too their start to the season, early good performances but away losses to Warwick and Stamford have given way to back to back home victories over Abingdon and Uppingham, now they want to take that form on the road.
The further uplift for Stowe is that in their current side The Close holds no weight of troubles past, their current L6th group won here in fantastic games as U16s and U15s, both games decided by just 3 points. The U6th meanwhile were involved in that great victory last time at home and another tight one at home as U16s, 11-10. Meanwhile Rugby’s U6th doubtless remember their impressive 41-17 victory as U14s.
Those U16 and U15 results of years gone by, all decided by three points of fewer, suggest that we are in for an absolutely fantastic game of rugby on Saturday, another absolute nail-biter on Old Bigside.
What is becoming clearer and clearer as these bicentenary games start to mount up is just how special it is for each and every visiting side to visit the birthplace of the game, but also just how special the game that has spawned from those early days remains at school level. The competition has been brilliant, the games outstanding, the sportsmanship superb, and the tension of the charts.
Brace for another afternoon of drama on The Close!
Rugby v Stowe – LIVE on NextGenXV – Saturday 7th October, 3pm Kick Off
