Over 1,000 players, coaches and spectators descended on the College on Sunday for the South East regional qualifying round of the 2016 National Schools Rugby Tournament (NSRT). Now in its 21st year, the NSRT is the largest event of its kind in the UK for players in the U8 to U13 age groups and is widely regarded as one of the highlights of the Prep School sporting calendar. Some 67 teams from 29 schools took part in this year’s U8 (tag), U9, U10 and U11 qualifying round, many of them erecting tents around the playing fields in which to shelter between matches from the cold, blustery conditions. With College staff, including Director of Rugby, Andy Wolstenholme, Director of Rugby Elect, Paul Burke, Economics and Business Studies teacher, Rob Young, and gappies, Tom Ryan and Jonathan Campbell, undertaking refereeing duties, a total of 120 matches took place on the day on 14 separate pitches as teams vied to finish in the top two places in their respective groups to qualify for the National Finals in March. Spectators were treated to a spectacular display of fast, open grass roots rugby played in the true spirit of the game. As always, Shrewsbury House School from Surbiton showed their rugby strength in depth by qualifying in all four age groups, while Kings’s College Junior School, St George’s Weybridge and St Columba’s qualified in three. The full list of qualifiers is as follows: U8: King’s College Junior School, Cranmore, Milbourne
Lodge, Cumnor House, Danes Hill, Shrewsbury House. U9: Lanesborough, Danes Hill, Shrewsbury House, Dulwich Prep, King’s College Junior School, St Columba’s, Milbourne Lodge, St George’s, Northcote Lodge. U10: Dulwich Prep, Homefield, King’s House, Shrewsbury House, Ludgrove, St Columba’s, Cumnor House, St George’s. U11: King’s College Junior School, St Columba’s, St George’s, and Shrewsbury House. They will join qualifiers from other regional competitions held at Hurstpierpoint College, King’s House School and Warwick School at the National Finals to be held at Epsom College for the 15th year running on Sunday 6th March.
