This Thursday sees the annual Ryan Bresnahan Memorial Game take place as Clifton College host Kingswood School in a 7.30pm Kick Off LIVE on NextGenXV.
Ryan was a pupil at Clifton College and in 2010 he died suddenly from Meningitis B. ‘A Life for a Cure’ was set up by Ryan’s family, founded as a legacy to Ryan and to help raise funds in search of the ultimate vaccine for Meningitis B. To date they have raised over £600,000 and this annual fixture at Clifton RFC between Clifton College and different opposition sides each year is key to that.
More information about A Life for a Cure can be found through their website, www.ryanbresnahan.org and through their social media channels, all @alifeforacure
To donate, please visiting A Life for a Cure on Just Giving: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/aLifeforaCure
Broadcast of the game will begin shortly after 7pm on Thursday, where we will be hearing from Ryan’s mother, Michelle, as well as a variety of young rugby stars including Wales U20 and Bristol Bears star Aiden Boshoff, who played in this fixture last year. As did the evening’s co-commentator, Fin Fielder, who was at fly half in that extraordinary game.
The game will be LIVE here on NextGenXV through the NextGenXV YouTube Channel and through the embedded video below.
It promises to be an outstanding game of rugby, as this game so often is, Clifton College are one of the very best teams in the country and have been for a few years now. Meanwhile Kingswood last year had one of their greatest seasons, winning all but one game, while their U16s went unbeaten. It sets up for a spectacular match.
This year Clifton College have been superb to date, beginning with hard-fought victories over Harrow and Llandovery College, before last week facing a Sedbergh side that is making a pretty good case for being considered the best in the country right now. That being said, Clifton came within a whisker of spoiling the Sedbergh party giving the Cumbrian side a real test in a game that could truly have gone either way, just falling to a 21-19 defeat. It was another sign of the strength of this Clifton College side this year.
Kingswood have been similarly impressive though, they started with defeat to Cheltenham College, but since that have been electric with back to back victories over Bristol Grammar School and Marlborough College. This will be by far their biggest game of the season, but they are well equipped for it, and have some historical precedent – they have played in the Ryan Bresnahan Memorial Game once before, ten years ago, and they won it 30-10. One of just four defeats that Clifton have suffered in this game in the twelve years it has been running, and the only one by more than a score.
The last two games in aid of A Life for a Cure have been astonishing. In 2022 it was an agonising defeat for Clifton as Kirkham Grammar School scored in the final play of the game to win 19-17, but in 2023 it was Clifton College’s turn to inflict the agony in the most incredible fashion.
At one point Clifton were 27-7 down to Millfield, in a game watched by over 20,000 people (check out the extraordinary match below), but somehow they spectacularly came back in the second half to lead 29-27. That was just the start of the drama though, Millfield scored twice in the last fifteen minutes to lead 41-29 heading into the final five minutes. Clifton scored once to close the gap and then, in the final play of the game, the magical Tom Bowen scored to give Clifton College the 43-41 victory. It was one of the most extraordinary and spectacular games of school rugby there has been, played at the very highest as well.
Thursday evening’s encounter will have to go some way to match that, but even if it is half of that it will still be a stunning game. With these two brilliant sides going at it though, you would not put a repeat of it out of the realms of possibility.
A treat on the pitch is a guarantee, Clifton College and Kingswood are two fantastic sides. More important though will be what the game is all about. The Ryan Bresnahan Memorial game is not only an incredibly important fundraiser for a vital cause, and a fantastic way to remember Ryan, it is also an occasion that never fails to display the true spirit of what school rugby is all about. Teamwork, camaraderie, joy, and support.
As ever with this game, Thursday will be a very special occasion indeed.
Clifton College v Kingswood: Thursday 24th Sept, 7.30pm KO | Ryan Bresnahan Memorial Game, LIVE on NextGenXV
