St. Ninian’s Year 7 and 8 Boys Rugby teams had a really successful trip to the North West of England at the end of term, and all of the boys did themselves, their school and their Island proud, both on and off the field.
It was a smooth crossing over on the Manxman to Heysham on Friday morning, where the squad of 63 players and 8 staff got straight on the coach and made their way to Priory Park, home of Macclesfield Rugby Club. The boys played against 6 local school and had some fantastic games of rugby. There were some good wins and some narrow losses, but all games were really competitive and showed how much they boys are improving in their rugby skills.
That evening the squad went see Sale Sharks edge out Northampton Saints in a 27-24 thriller to see them climb into the Premiership Play off places, much to the delight of the St.Ninian’s boys.
The next morning the boys were up early to make their way to Wilmslow High School where they played Wilmslow and Fallibroome schools. The year 7s had some real battles, with the A team playing courageously and coming very close to victory. A last gasp Wilmslow try saw the spoils shared at 20-20, and the boys should be proud of a great game against a very good schoolboy side. The year 8 team also played Wimslow A team in an intense and high skilled game of Rugby. They had two strong and physical teams and although St. Ninian’s skill and speed caused Wilmslow problems, the home sides strength in contact was difficult to handle and they scored some good tries with power and aggression with the ball in hand. It was a good games but Wilmslow finished the victors at 400 points to 20.
The Year 7 B team played Fallibroome A team, who also had a number of very strong ball carriers. St. Ninian’s played some great rugby, moving the ball quickly out of contact, and showed some great support, but it wasn’t enough and were on the wrong side of a 35-20 scoreline. The C team matched up against Wilmslow B team and it was an absolute cracker! Tries galore, plenty of heart, and a few last ditch tackles meant we couldn’t split them in the end and it finished 30-30. All 4 games were played in high spirits and all players showed positive and respectful attitudes towards one another.
Many of the St. Ninian’s boys were experiencing their first off-island sports tour with the school and they were all very impressive. Their commitment on the pitch, coupled with their behaviour and manners off it, made it a really successful tour. We are already looking forward to next year!
St. Ninian's Rugby teams enjoy a successful trip to the North West
