Cranleigh’s 1st XV were presented with the prestigious Daily Mail trophy on Friday evening. Parents and pupils gathered in the Reading Room to watch the presentation take place. The 1st XV became the fourth school in the competition’s history to win the trophy. They were unbeaten all season, only the fifth time for Cranleigh since rugby started in 1916.
They finished first in the Daily Mail Schools Merit Table for the first time, finishing ahead of 103 top rugby schools in the country.
Mr Andy Houston, Director of Rugby, praised the hard work and humble attitude of the whole team. “We did it the right way, with the boys loving playing their games and always with a smile on their faces. Some of them have been playing together since prep school and they have always been hard workers who push each other as a team. What makes Cranleigh special is that we pass it down, our boys are good role models and they’re inspiring the younger years.”
Their success comes as a result of an unbeaten season where the team only conceded six tries all year and scored 334 points in their nine matches. During the season they beat champions trophy semi-finalists Hampton and Epsom College as well as the likes of Tonbridge, Marlborough, and finally Canford in the last game at the weekend, where they won 48-20 against Canford in front of a large home support.
Team stats:
Played 9, won 9
Points for: 334
Points against: 59
Top try scorer: Finn Brown
Top points scorer: Jago Bailey
Top defender: David Ofori
Leading ball carrier: Ollie Corbett
Captain: Oscar Beard
Vice-Captain: David Ofori and Will Trenholm
Photo Credits: Martin Williamson
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