Record-breaking Final Match for Bloxham School’s 1st XV Rugby Team
A longstanding school record was broken as Bloxham ended their season with a convincing victory on a wet afternoon at King Henry VIII, Coventry on Saturday; Wasps Academy hooker Alfie B scored a hat-trick of tries in a 48-0 win to end the season on 24 tries, breaking the school’s 1st XV record of 23 set by winger Steve Simpson in 1984, when the 1st XV played 19 games compared with this year’s 13.
Alfie’s unselfishness was shown by the pass he gave on the try line to set up captain Ollie K for his own 13th of the season, when he still needed two more tries to break the record. After a quiet first half, reaching half time only 12-0 up, Bloxham then cut loose despite the poor conditions to score tries from both their wings Sam B and Sam C-H, the pick of the eight scored in total. Fly half Jake M added three conversions to a well-taken try when he showed good knowledge of the laws to wriggle through to score by placing the ball against the base of the posts.
Remarkably, after failing to score in the first game of the season, Alfie then managed tries in every one of the remaining twelve matches. With a powerful pack the foundation of their success, Bloxham have enjoyed an excellent season, winning 11 out of 13 and recording fine away victories at the Oratory and both Oxford schools, MCS and St Edward’s as well as big wins over Dean Close and Merchant Taylors. They responded well to defeat by one score at the hands of Bromsgrove in the NatWest Cup by winning all six of their remaining games.
This was the last match together for this group of players, with twelve of the squad Upper Sixth Formers, who have given five or seven years of service to Bloxham rugby. The two members of the second row, Nick v S and Jack R, have played together for the last ten seasons, and their parents were among a large group of Bloxham supporters who celebrated this momentous occasion in style after the game. The level of support the team has received all season has been one of the most notable features of a memorable season.