The state school defying rugby’s established order

Wellington College and Sedbergh School are renowned nurseries of English rugby union and almost synonymous with the XV-a-side game. But both were narrowly pipped to a prestigious award this month by a growing powerhouse and a heartening case study for the sport as a whole.

By ending this season at the top of the Daily Mail Trophy rankings, Northampton School for Boys (NSB) became the first state establishment to do so. This table takes matches between under-18 teams over the autumn term, weighting opponents by difficulty to reward those taking on the toughest fixture lists.

Twelve months ago, NSB finished in 44th place. Now, a talented crop has surged to the summit. Since 2013, all previous victors had been independent schools. NSB has broken the mould in some style.

As testament to how they harness the inherent advantages of a distinctive ecosystem in the East Midlands, enlisting parents as volunteer coaches and coordinating with local clubs, they fielded 34 boys in the first XV between September and December. Five individuals played up from Year 11, or the under-16 age group, and two of those featured alongside their older brothers. Fin Shields joined Hugh, and Howie Barnett-Vincent linked up with Ferdi.

“Those were special moments,” says Phil Beaumont, who heads up a remarkable rugby programme. NSB had already won their pool of The Schools Championship, an invitational tournament, thanks to triumphs over Whitgift School and Ipswich College. They sealed the Daily Mail Trophy by edging Seaford College 21-17 in a Sussex mud-bath before a 56-21 defeat of Sir Thomas Rich’s School.

Beaumont labels the feat, which only seemed feasible over recent weeks, as “fantastic for us and huge for state school rugby”. Adam Baker, the assistant director of rugby and backs coach, points out that the squad has been “hit really hard” by representative call-ups as well.

Sedbergh beat them 43-37 at the beginning of November when six of the NSB’s cohort were on international age-grade duty; five with England and one other, playmaker Giovanni Panariello, with Italy. For the trip to Seaford, NSB needed to do without three England Under-18s: Jack Lewis, Aiden Reid and Hugh Shields.

In wet conditions on a heavy surface, they found themselves 17-0 behind. But Caelin Chin moved from scrum-half to fly-half and orchestrated a stirring triumph that was finally secured when James Civil burst off his wing on the very last play. Beaumont was behind the posts, and somehow remained a picture of calm.

“We try to create an environment where the boys can perform and win graciously,” he says, smiling. “Beating Seaford was one step towards season goals that the boys have set. They want to go and win the Schools Cup next term and being ranked No 1 was something the boys wanted to go after.

“Winning that game was great and doing so in the last play was a highly dramatic way to finish it… but the job wasn’t done. It was a case of trying to keep the boys grounded after such a tough game, with Seaford playing for a trophy named after their headmaster, John Green.

“Being composed was crucial, although I was on the mic to another coach, Adam, who was super excited and punching the air!”

As Beaumont hints, NSB are only just getting started. They have reached the semi-final of the Continental Tyres Schools Cup, a nationwide knockout. In March, they will face another state comprehensive, Campion from Essex, on the neutral turf of Aylesbury RFC. Win that and NSB will return to Twickenham, where they lost to Dulwich in the 2013 decider.

This time around, they will need to do without Hugh Shields, who suffered a fractured fibula and a dislocated tibia in the quarter-final against Kirkham. He will act as a coach for the remainder of the cup run, such are his leadership qualities and tactical acumen. Landing the Continental Tyres Cup would be “monumental”, according to Beaumont. The Rosslyn Park Sevens rounds off the year, and NSB like the sound of a quadruple.

Last week, Beaumont was part of a charity row during which BTEC Sport students clocked about 5,000 miles in a 12-hour overnight relay. He took the 11pm-3am shift, if his gallantry were at all in doubt.

Under his tutelage, NSB’s rugby programme has shifted to a “community model”. Northampton Old Scouts RFC and Old Northamptonians are strong allies, with many pupils registered to one or the other.

There is a reciprocal relationship with Northampton Saints, too. Coaches flit between the Prem outfit and NSB, sharing terminology and playing philosophies. Just this season, 40 individuals have been linked with Saints, either at foundation phase (under 15-16) or development (under 17-18) phases.

Female entrants into sixth form have rugby as an option and, as well as the first XV boys, the under-14, 15 and 16 teams are still in their respective knockout tournaments. “We’ve changed our approach and now we’re seeing the fruits of our labour,” Beaumont says. “Every age group looks strong.”

When boys join in Year 7, at the age of 11, they are inspired by the consistent success of teams in national competitions – seven NSB teams have reached finals in the past 10 years – and aspire towards climbing the ladder. Some age groups put out A, B, C and D selections. The top teams are picked on merit, with the others on rotation.

On an annual basis, Beaumont reveals, independent schools offer scholarships to promising NSB players. These tend to be turned down.

“They’re getting a free education here anyway,” Beaumont adds. “That means the scholarship doesn’t entice them and our rugby programme is one of the very best in the country. NSB is a unique place for boys to harness their potential.

“Our mission statement for schoolboy rugby is for every player to achieve their potential, on and off the field. For me, that means they carry on playing once they’ve left school at the highest level they can.

“Some will go on to have professional careers. Most won’t, and it’s crucial for those boys to stay in the game as they transition to seniors.”

NextGen Live, a platform dedicated to promoting age-grade sport, ranked NSB ninth – and the highest among those from England – on a worldwide list of rugby schools. St Joseph’s Nudgee College, near Brisbane, took top spot. Baker has been in contact, having previously exchanged ideas with the Australian college, and hopes to schedule another call.

Rugby union’s preoccupation with values can feel frothy at times, but Beaumont distils it when he speaks about the significance of NSB’s biannual tour of South Africa, which is funded by charity initiatives. “I was told about a decade ago that 95 per cent of people only ever travel as far as they have been before the age of 21,” he explains.

“One of the reasons we tour South Africa is so that the boys know they can go to the other side of the world and be part of 15 friends on a field immediately by joining a club. It’s hopefully giving them the confidence to go to new environments and continue the game.”

The sport needs as many go-getters as possible and it is reassuring to hear that Beaumont has agreed to be the chair of a newly formed national hub. In that guise, while continuing to spearhead the formidable NSB operation, he will collate and relay the challenges and opportunities for rugby-playing state schools around England.

David Flatman is to present and narrate a documentary following NSB’s first XV, which goes out for tender in January. The story so far is impressive enough. If Beaumont’s boys get their way, there will be more to tell.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]