RUGBY Rugby, like many other sports and subjects, has perhaps had its most challenging year in history. Due to the contact nature of the sport we truly lost all normality and were reduced to ‘adapted’ laws of the game which were very restrictive and frustrating. Despite this, early on in Michaelmas term we were able to host a fantastic rugby festival amongst the new Year 7s and it was great to see the potential within this year group and the future of St Dunstan’s rugby coming to life. As we progressed through the year there were many students who continued to shape the game at the school. Special mentions must go to the core groups in Years 7, 10, 11 and 12. Groups of students within these years were creative and positive in their approach to the game and stuck at training throughout the entire year. Off the back of this we now have a series of ‘Rugby Leaders’ who will be pivotal and instrumental in the development of the sport at the College. As we progressed into the Trinity term with a few lockdowns behind us, Year 7 continued to train hard; their progress in game understanding and attacking execution has been sublime. In Year 8, we saw the introduction of our first mixed-gender training sessions. Traditionally this has been difficult to manage but with contact training out of the question the students and staff seized upon the window of opportunity, which led to excellent results. Year 9 have had a somewhat turbulent year but show great promise for next year. Our Year 10s, led
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by Zaki, Tom and Callum, have been our standout year group this year. Whilst we had many Year 11s and 12s who were ready and committed to train, it was the Year 10 group who have really impressed, consistently bringing energy, enthusiasm and focus to all sessions. It has been an exceptional year and all rugby players are deserving of our admiration and recognition, due to their perseverance with the sport despite the lack of opportunity to compete. We know that when the time comes next year, you will be ready and raring to go! Mr G Hart Coordinator of Rugby
