Like Father Like Son
A small piece of history may be made on Saturday when the Navy take on the Army at Twickenham. The day of rugby starts at 09:00 at Staines RFC with the finals of the RFU Emerging Schools tournament. The event, which must be one of the most successful youth rugby tournaments in the world, includes Bay House School, Gosport. If Bay House win through to the finals that will give the opportunity for Jacob Burns to play at Twickenham only minutes before dad Si takes to the field with the Navy team. It can not be often that a father and son have played at Twickenham on the same day. Best wishes from Navy Rugby to them both. The full RFU press release for the competition reads as follows: Emerging Schools finalists prepare for big day at Twickenham Forty eight teams from across England are ready for the national finals of this season’s Daily Express Emerging Schools Rugby Festival. John Spence Community High School in North Shields and Newquay Tretherras School in Cornwall will set out from opposite ends of the country with a place in one of the Twickenham finals in their sights. They will be joined by 46 other teams as the 10-a-side tournament’s six divisions play the preliminary stages at Staines RFC on the morning of Saturday, May 3 before the 12 finalists meet on Twickenham’s hallowed turf that afternoon. The Emerging Schools Festival is designed to drive up participation at state schools who play little or no formal rugby, including those introduced to the game for the first time this season. More than 50,000 children have taken part since its launch in October last year, when the 12-year-old competition expanded to add boys under-14 teams to the existing Under-12 and Under-13 categories for ‘new’ and ‘emerging’ schools and the Under-14 girls. The finals take place as curtain-raisers and during half-time at the annual Babcock Trophy Army v Navy game in front of 40,000 supporters. “The Emerging Schools Rugby Festival is a fantastic event that that gives thousands of children in state schools the chance to take up the sport and to take part in a national competition,” said Andrew Scoular, the RFU’s Community Rugby Director. “We see it as a major part of our strategy to continue the growth of the game and our Rugby Development Officers work closely with teachers and School Sport Partnerships to make sure that growth is sustainable. “We’re very grateful for the support of the Armed Forces, who play a key role in the running of the Festival, and the excellent backing we receive from the Daily Express.” DAILY EXPRESS EMERGING SCHOOLS FESTIVAL FINALS QUALIFIERS Under-12 New London North: Honywood School, Coggeshall London South: Heathside School, Weybridge Midlands East: Central Technology & Sports College, Grantham Midlands West: De Ferrers STC, Burton Upon Trent North East: Durham Johnston School North West: Birkdale High School, Lancashre South: Sir William Ramsay School, High Wycombe South West: Hardenhuish School, Chippenham Under-12 Emerging London North: The Philp Morant School, Colchester London South: Norton Knatchbull School, Ashford Midlands East: Carre's School, Sleaford Midlands West: The Chase, Malvern North East: Harrogate School North West: The Whitby High School, Ellesmere Port South: Bay House School, Gosport South West: Kingsbridge Community College Under-13 New London North: Farlingaye High School, Woodbridge London South: Chaucer Technology School, Canterbury Midlands East: West Bridgford School, Nottingham Midlands West: Hagley Catholic High School, Worcestershire North East: Johnspence Community High School, North Shields North West: All Hallows Catholic High School, Preston South: The Mountbatten School, Romsey South West: The Stonehenge School, Amesbury Under-13 Emerging London North: The Philp Morant School, Colchester London South: Bishop Justus CofE School, Bromley Midlands East: Wrenn School, Wellingborough Midlands West: Alvechurch CofE School North East: Harrogate School North West: St Cuthberts Catholic Community College, St Helens South: The Cottesloe School, Wing South West: Mangotsfield School, Bristol Under-14 London North: St Mary's Catholic School, Bishop's Stortford London South: Heathside School, Weybridge Midlands East: Frederick Gents School, Derbyshire Midlands West: Aldridge School, Walsall North East: Acklam Grange School, Middlesbrough North West: Moorside High School, Salford South: Sandown High School, Isle of Wight South West: Swindon Academy Girls Under-14 London North: Twyford CofE School London South: Winston Churchill School, Woking Midlands East: Wootton Upper School, Bedford Midlands West: Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College North East: Settle Middle School North West: Wyndham School, Egremont South: Perins School, Alresford South West: Newquay Tretherras School, Cornwall MAY 3 FINALS DAY TIMETABLE Staines 9am-12pm: Qualifying games Twickenham 1.30pm: Under-12, 13 & 14 Emerging finals 3.40pm New Under 12 & 13 New finals LAST SEASON’S CHAMPIONS Under-12 New: Abbotsfield School, Hillingdon and Bishop Lovett School, Isle of Wight Under-13 New: All Saints Catholic School, Dagenham Under-12 Emerging: Simon Langton School, Caterbury Under-13 Emerging: Charlton School, Shropshire Under-14 Girls: Gillingham School, Dorset