2019 Norfolk Primary Schools Touch Rugby Championships

Spooner Row school hosted the 2019 Norfolk Primary Schools Touch Rugby Championships on Wednesday 16th October. Schools from Spooner Row, Wicklewood, Barford, Langham, Millfield, North Repps and Erpingham entered teams.

Touch rugby is a game similar to tag rugby but there are fewer stoppages so it’s faster and it’s also more inclusive as it’s played by three girls and three boys. It’s quick to learn and you don’t need any special equipment which makes it perfect for schools.

Despite slightly damp weather the standard of play from the children was extremely high. The passing and evasion skills were excellent. All the teams improved dramatically throughout the day. By the end of the tournament the teams were so good that the referees were struggling to keep up.

A team of highly experienced coaches including England international players Soul Phoenix and Mark Scott plus Ed Miles, Andy Wells, Owen Dwyer and Russell House coached the children and played some refereed practice games prior to the tournament starting. In the run up to the tournament Amanda Jones from Wymondham Rugby club also delivered some coaching sessions to help the schools prepare.

After seven rounds of closely fought games the winners and Norfolk Primary Schools Champions of 2019 were Millfield School from North Walsham. They will go on to represent Norfolk in a national schools competition to be held alongside the European Touch Championships in Nottingham in Spring 2020. Congratulations to Millfield for their outstanding performance and great team spirit which resulted in them winning every game. Good luck in the finals Millfield.
The full Results were:

Norfolk Champions Millfield on the attack

Norfolk Champions - Millfield

Second - Spooner Row 1

Third - Langham

Fourth - North Repps and Erpingham

Fifth - Barford

Sixth - Spooner Row 2

Seventh - Wicklewood

Spooner Row teams 1 & 2

A big thank you to all the coaches that volunteered to support the event. Special thanks to Caroline Saint for managing the event with support from Jack Saint and Olivia House. Thanks also to Spooner Row School and the Community Council for hosting the event and the staff and helpers from each of the schools.

The tournament was sponsored by www.schoolsportcoach.com. 

Children wshing to play more touch rugby can do so after school on Fridays and on Sunday mornings (April to October) with Norwich Rebels at Eaton Park in Norwich. Wymondham Rugby Club also has an excellent junior section.