Rugby Football Union - Schools ton up

Schools ton up

By Richard Prescott

The England Schools Rugby Union celebrates its centenary this year. The inaugural meeting of the English Schools Rugby Union (ESRU) was held at the YMCA room in Leicester on March 26th 1904. Since that day the Union has been responsible for helping to develop the international careers of hundreds of full England internationals, including Jonny Wilkinson, Matt Dawson and Richard Hill, who all featured in the 2003 RWC final.

The England Schools Unions celebrations culminate with a showcase of upcoming England talent at, appropriately, Welford Road, Leicester, where England Schools (U16 and U18) will face Wales, the same opponents they faced in 1904. England lost that game in Cardiff and the following year in 1905 at the return at Welford Road.

The match will be the culmination of a series of events that have included a reception with MPs at Portcullis House in London, which also saw Derek Wyatt (MP for Sittingbourne & Sheppey), Roger Uttley and Peter Kingston, who toured with England Schools in 1975, reunited.

The senior England squad have also been involved with the celebrations. Ex-England Schools players, including James Simpson-Daniel, Ben Kay, Mark Regan, Phil Vickery and Trevor Woodman (pictured left), all took part in photo calls to help promote the centenary and the launch of the ‘100 Years of Schools Rugby Book’.

A committee, Chaired by Eric Blackman, in his capacity as President of the England Rugby Football Schools Union, has been the driving force behind the centenary celebrations and he is delighted that they have been so well received.

“We’ve had a lot of support from everyone involved in the game. The match at Leicester will be a fitting climax to the celebrations, which have been particularly timely given England’s success at the Rugby World Cup with a squad including so many former Schools players.

“I would like to thank all those on the committee for their invaluable assistance and I’m looking forward to the game on April 24th and the dinner the preceding evening. The RFU President, Robert Horner, will entertain the senior officials of England and Wales. From the dinner, the attendees will then join the committees at the Leicester Tigers club where I’m sure that many old acquaintances will be renewed. The principal speaker will be John Spencer, a former England Schools captain, full England international and British and Irish Lion.”

The Schools Centenary Committee comprised of: Robert Horner, President of the RFU; Ron Tennick, Rugby Development Manager (Education); Tim Stirk, Schools Union RFU Council representative; Terry Burwell, RFU Community Rugby and Operations Director; Richard Prescott, RFU Communications Director; and Charles Allen, RFU Commercial Manager.

England U16 group play Wales U16 Group at 1.30pm at Welford Road while England U18 Group play Wales U18 Group at 3pm.

Ron Tennick the RFU’s Rugby Development Manager (Education) is keen to invite former England Schools internationals to the games at Leicester. This would take the form of a pre-match luncheon with the Life Members of the Schools Union. Ron will provide all the details if you contact him at Castlecroft Stadium, Castlecroft Road, Wolverhampton, WV3 8NA, email rontennick@rfu.com, or tel 01902 380302.