Josh Maguire broke away down the left wing to feed Luca Dormer for the winning score. Special mentions go to Muhammad Chaudhry for captaining the team for the first time, and to Patrick Anderson and James Casstles for being tackling machines in the B team, forcing their way into A team reckoning. The U16s Mr Hanks, Mr Dungate-Jones and Mr Mackintosh had an exciting year with the U16s. Henry Armstrong, Max Mukerji and player of the season Xavier Wild led the way for the 16Cs with strong tackling and powerful running. Nick Black, Matteo Cranchi and Hugo Richards set the standard in the 16Bs with their commitment to training, and Matteo in particular pulled the strings at fly half with deft kicking and passing. The 16As finished the season with two excellent perfor- mances against Eton and St Paul’s. Player of the season Antoine Andrews , captain Monty Pedrini and unsung hero Charlie Pickering set a strong foundation for the team. Players’ player of the season Tristan Saunders , fullback Noah Ridgeon and winger Michael Ijeh made the most of the attacking ball they provided with elusive running and some memorable tries. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd XV The 1st XV at times looked like they would build upon their progress from the St Joseph’s Festival, playing some excellent rugby. However, they were denied a victory against John Fisher by a last-minute try and missed a golden opportunity to beat St Paul’s at home, losing by just one point. A highlight of the season was Max Williams ’ hat trick of maul tries against John Fisher, and the end of season awards were won by Tom Speed (Captain trophy), Owen Casstles (Players’ player) and Matthew Corkum (Player of the season).
a great example for the less experienced players, such as Alfred Godfrey, Julian Smoczynski, Thomas Jackson and Dylan Healey , to really develop their skill and toughness. Both the U12s and U13s finished the season with brilliantly competitive matches against Dulwich Prep London, in what was a real celebration of Dulwich Rugby. The 13As had a tense 20–20 draw, while the 12As had a well-deserved 45–25 victory. A special mention must go to Miss Gent and the 13D team, who rounded off an undefeated season, and to Mr Basey and the 12Cs, who have impressed all with the fast-flowing rugby that they have played. The U14s The U14 teams grew in confidence in the second half of the season as they got used to playing some of the big boarding schools. The 14B and C teams, led by Nkem Mansaray and Rafferty Southern respectively, enjoyed great victories against Eton College and St Paul’s. The 14As unfortunately were eliminated from the National Cup by a strong Dartford Grammar side, but they avenged this defeat with strong wins against Tonbridge and St Paul’s. Marly Amarteifio was the breakthrough player of the season, with his electric running earning him a spot on the wing in the A team.
RUGBY – 163 rd season Rob Wood
and externally in addition to my timetable; it has been incredibly beneficial. Thanks are also due for the physi- cal preparation provided by Mr Hodgson’s strength and conditioning programme, which he tailored to badmin- ton-specific needs, and which helped me to improve many aspects of my physical ability, notably my lower body mobility and overall leg strength. As a result, I have found it easier to adapt to an increasing training load over the years. Being able to put all my cards on the table once in competition is something I’ll never get tired of My love for badminton began when I was nine, and ever since then, I have enjoyed playing and competing at many levels. The feeling of competitiveness is the reason I love it so much; there is a satisfaction in putting in weeks of training and hard work to finally achieve that title, or finally beat that regular opponent. Experiencing my own improvements after long training blocks and being able to put all my cards on the table once in competition is some- thing I’ll never get tired of. Beyond the College, my plan is to take a gap year, ded- icating most of the time to my badminton training and competitions, where I plan to give it my all. I have applied to university this year, hoping to study in London, and deferring places until 2024. If I go to university from 2024 onwards, I will be able to commute to my current training centre in Wimbledon. My goal is to represent England at senior level, and at the very least continue playing bad- minton at the highest level I personally can achieve.
The end of the Michaelmas term brought the curtain down on the 163 rd season of Dulwich Rugby. It was another action-packed season with tight contests and plenty of improvement from Year 7 up to the senior squads. The U12s The U12s have enjoyed an excellent year as the DC Jun- ior School boys have merged superbly with the boys who were new to Year 7, thanks to the help of Mr Davies and the other coaches. Boys like Deji Ayorinde , Thomas Biggs , Ollie Rhodes and Dan Omura had never played rugby be- fore which makes their progress all the more impressive.
The U13s The U13s had some of their standout performances at the Surrey Tournament, where they won all of their group games and two in the knockouts. Santi Jackson (captain), Max Count , Albert Challacombe and Nick Lewes have led from the front all season, both with their competitive play and with their sterling sportsmanship. They have set
The U15s A highlight of the U15 season was the trio of excellent matches against John Fisher. As the games approached the final whistle, all were within one score and could have gone either way. The Cs narrowly lost, the Bs held on for a tight victory and the As went down agonisingly to a penalty kick with no time on the clock. The Bs continued with an exceptional performance to beat Whitgift School, and the As responded well with a superb victory away at Eton College. An end-to-end game was settled when
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THE ALLEYNIAN 711
SPORTS
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