Cranleigh 1st XV won the 30th Annual St Joseph’s Rugby Festival in dramatic circumstances, in what was only their second ever appearance at the tournament.
The tournament was celebrating its 30th year of existence with the best rugby schools from across the UK and Ireland competing. Past winners have included Millfield, Blackrock College (Dublin) and Colstons. The 1st XV squad had to play seven 30 minute matches in the space of two days against John Fisher, RGS Newcastle, Millfield, Q.E.G.S Wakefield, Merchiston Castle (Edinburgh), Denstone and Brighton. The format involves three group matches on the Saturday with the top two from each group going through to the knock-out cup stage on the Sunday.
Cranleigh were then unbeaten on the second day, playing Brighton College in the final, to go on and win the whole tournament for the first time in our history.
Writing about the whole event, XV Rugby said of the victory; “It is quite an achievement for the Surrey school, who are now able to call themselves both the St Joseph’s Festival champions and the Rosslyn Park HSBC National School 7s champions after they won the Open there at the first attempt last year… To travel home as both the Rosslyn Park and St Joseph’s Champions is an achievement that few teams can rival. It shows their abilities across all formats and styles of the game… Hats off too to St Joseph’s for putting together yet another fantastic Festival, but the final word must go to Cranleigh, St Joseph’s Festival Champions at only the second time of asking. Oustanding.”
Andy Houston
Director of Rugby