This Saturday Whitgift and Wellington College, two giants of the school, game go head to head in a poignant fixture, the annual Seb Adeniran-Olule memorial game. 2.30pm KO LIVE on NextGenXV.
Each year the two sides meet and play for the Seb Adeniran-Olule Trophy, in memory of the former old boy of both sides who tragically died in 2016. By then Seb was a Harlequins players and had represented England at age-group level, following his passing a foundation was set up to try to help others get the same opportunities that he had, Seb’s Foundation, which aims to give talented aspiring young people from less privileged backgrounds access to the highest quality academic and sporting opportunities. You can find out more on @sebsfoundation and on the website, www.sebsfoundation.org
On the field the game is always one of the biggest of the season, featuring two sides that have picked up pretty much every title going in the world of schools rugby between them. It is seemingly always an open and exciting game of rugby, and you will be able to follow every second of it LIVE through the NextGenXV YouTube Channel and through the embedded video below.
Both sides looked sharp in pre-season, Whitgift lifting the prestigious Esher President’s Cup while Wellington College enjoyed a strong victory over Northampton School for Boys before meeting Berkhamsted and RGS High Wycombe in a triangular last weekend, finishing up with a victory and a defeat.
It will be the first competitive game of the season for Wellington College, for Whitgift though it is the second on the calendar after they travelled to Sedbergh for a fixture on Sunday. The Croydon side gave a cracking account of themselves but faced an excellent Sedbergh side, losing 32-21.
The fixtures don’t get easier for the hosts, Wellington College ought to be a fantastic side this year, their Upper 6th had a fantastic year as Colts and really grew into the season at 1st XV level last year, as well as winning the Schools Cup as U16s.
Whitgift have plenty to be excited about too though, they too grew throughout the year last year and the current L6th have happy memories of facing Wellington College, having beaten then 29-7 at U16s this time last year.
All of which suggests we should be in for a great game, and history suggests it too. Often games between these two are tight, going way back to 2011 there was a 33-33 draw, but the last ten years have seen some really tight ones too, 16-6 in Wellington College’s favour in 2016 and 24-20 in 2017, while in 2016 Whitgift won 15-14 – their last victory over Wellington College in this fixture, though they did win in May 2021 in a series of games arranged at Esher RFC post-pandemic.
In 2022 Whitgift looked all but set for victory on home soil only for Wellington College to snatch it at the death then last year Wellington College took a 43-26 victory (see below) that was a far closer game that the scoreline suggests.
There is great rivalry, great passion, and great quality in this fixture. There is also great camaraderie and friendship all in the name of Seb Adeniran-Olule. Saturday will be an incredibly special occasion both on and off the field, one of the great early season fixtures between two of schools rugby’s greatest.
Whitgift v Wellington College: Saturday 14th September, 2.30pm KO | LIVE on NextGenXV