Oundle450 Rugby Match
Full list of players (.pdf file)
On Wednesday 27th September, as part of Oundle School's 450 anniversary celebrations, the school staged a rugby match between a select Old Oundelians XV and The Public School Wanderers.
The Wanderers team is a high profile invitation XV, and the team selected by the President, Brigadier Rolph James CBE was no exception, containing no fewer than 10 full internationals, with Craig Chalmers, Scott Nichol, Richard Smith and Chris Sheasby topping the bill.
The match was played in front of a crowd consisting of Oundle pupils both past and present, with a large contingent of old boys from the era of the great school boy coach, Frank Spragg. The game finished at 68-10 in favour of the PSW team, but the Old Oundelian team acquitted themselves well and rallied in the second half to score two well worked tries.
The Old Oundelain team was captained by Rory Jenkins, who had a distinguished professional rugby career himself, before retiring a couple of seasons ago. David Rose, the referee from the elite panel of RFU referees splendidly officiated the game.
The game was followed by a dinner for both teams and many invited guests, including the Chairman of Governors, Sir Michael Pickard and Lady Pickard, and former Headmaster, David McMurray and his wife Toni. Previous Masters in Charge of Rugby at Oundle, Tony Lewin and Terry Cobner, were also at the dinner, as was former Scotland and British Lion Chris Rea, who coached at Oundle in the 80's and early 90's. Simon Hodgkinson, the Nottingham and England full back who is responsible for coaching the backs at Oundle was another of the invited guests.
The guest speaker was Mr Roger Uttley OBE, who has coached Harrow for the last 25 years, is master in charge of rugby there, and who has had a most distinguished career as a player himself.
John Olver
Master i/c Rugby