Emdad Rahman
A pioneering legacy project between Clifford Chance and the Tower Hamlets Youth Sport Foundation has blossomed this year as more local schools have signed up to the Rugby Academy.
Last month schools participating in the Clifford Chance Rugby Academy attended a tag rugby competition. Millwall Park hosted the group stage, with 16 teams returning for the knockout stage. Olga, St Luke’s and English Martyrs each took a team through to the last four.
In the first semi Olga beat Harbinger 4-3 thanks to a dramatic “Golden Try” in extra time. In the other game St Luke’s lost to English Martyrs (0-3). The final pitted Olga against English Martyrs in an exciting final in which emotions ran high both on and off the field. Both teams proved themselves worthy finalists.
Olga again fell behind early on thanks to a superb solo try from English Martyrs speedster and Captain Kai Denys. Neither team gave an inch until the last couple of minutes, when English Martyrs edged to a 4-2 lead. This followed another moment of magic from Denys as he weaved his way in and out of the Olga defence before passing to his winger to finish the try.
Olga then kicked into gear and a quick break from their captain George Pettersen was followed by a brilliant offload to Aaqil Chowdhury, who brought his team back into the game at 4-3. As the final whistle approached, English Martyrs lost the ball and an opportunistic Terrance Martin from Olga was on hand to score the try, bringing the teams even and sending the match into “Golden Try”.
English Martyrs started with the ball and almost scored instantly with a flowing move from one end of the pitch to the other displaying both individual moments of skill and team support play – but a last-ditch diving tackle saved the day for Olga.
A nail biting finish saw Olga breaking away down the right wing with both captains Kai Denys and George Petterson. It was Petterson who picked out the pass for Olga to score the Golden Try and win the Tournament.
Tower Hamlets Youth Sports Foundation (THYSF) Rugby Development Officer Scott Vinnicombe, who has been coaching the children at their school sessions and who organised the tournament, gathered both teams together after the final whistle and congratulated them all on their amazing performances.
He said, “Wow, what a game. Both teams were brilliant. For everyone to play so hard in the final of a competition then all come together to shake hands and appreciate the effort put in by each other is what rugby is all about. I can’t wait to work with these young people again in the near future.”
Vinnicombe will now be selecting a “Dream Team” to represent the Clifford Chance Rugby Academy in the THYSF Borough Rugby Tournament on 12th July, where the Dream Team students, all of whom are in year 4, will be up against year 5 and 6 children in the competition. Scott will also identify which students will be selected to attend District Rugby Training Sessions at Millwall Rugby Club and his Rugby Summer Camp during the school holidays.
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