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Rugby Dinner Speeches 2022
Tuesday, 7 February 2023
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We had record numbers at the Rugby Dinner in the Ramside Hall Hotel in May to celebrate everything that happened in the season. It is always great to hear the players perspective on a season. All of the captain's speeches from the night are available below: Harry Hughes 1st XV Captain Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and fellow players, I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that it’s good to be back here at the rugby dinner after a few years off, and me and hopefully the rest of the rugby club are happy to celebrate a long season in this way. For the first team, it’s been a season with its definite ups and its just as definite downs. I asked Bedders before sitting down to write this last night how I should structure this speech, and he suggested to mainly talk about the development of the team. I thought this would be a good idea, but with the few exceptions such as me at 8, Jay at hooker, Will P at 9 and Kris on the bench, the team mostly changed around every game, so it was hard to speak on a whole. So, with this in mind I thought the best starting place would be our first game, against Austin Friars. It was a pretty slow start for us as a team but it finished with a decent win in the end, which could have been made much easier if Scott and Sam were both available, sadly they were nursing a major bruised toe or something so they were out of action. This meant Richard had to step into fly half, which was a shame as he really didn’t want to pass the ball to Callum much and preferred to run at their biggest player off the scrum every time. This game highlighted all our strengths and weaknesses, as it was made clear that we could scramble defend very well, however I’m sure Bedders wouldn’t want me to name names, but he seemed to think that the number 8’s presentations weren’t the best in the squad, and he was kind enough to remind me after every video. All in all though, it was a good starting point for the team and it was good to watch the video back to really see how much we improved. Our next big game that was coming up was Ampleforth. I believe everyone here knows just as much as we did that this game was likely going to be our biggest, and for us, we felt a lot of pressure to win this game, due to it being the Shearing Cup. However, we had three games to prepare ourselves for that, which was reduced to two after Sedbergh ran from it with their tails between their legs. The first was against another local rival NSB, which was a very similar story, where we made it much harder for ourselves, but in the end, defended well and took at least a couple of our chances for a 17-7 win. With this game, Scott and Sam were finally back, Jye made his first tackle as a rugby player, albeit without the use of his arms that left him with “a set of broken ribs” and another major injury for Kris as he got his ankles broken by the NSB 15. Our next game was against Dame Allans in the national vase, which ended up being our first loss of the season. In a game so stressful it managed to do the impossible and push Mr Bedworth’s hairline back even further. This game was also our first away game, and clearly showed our weakness of playing away from home, as we never really got started compared to our first few games. After this we had a week to prepare for the Ampleforth game, with Jye out due to broken ribs, punctured lungs, muscles tears in his shoulders, and other conditions he found on google, as well as Eli looking shaky in his knee, which was unlucky after a great start from him in the season, we needed to bring in back up players for the game. This meant the debut of Aidan and Will C, which saw Will command a permanent place in the squad after showing how important his physicality can be in attack and defence. We started the game with a plan, which was to sober Mitchy up and if that failed we would just have to avoid him. With mainly notable performances from Scott, Jay, and the important 7 Ollie, we played smart and with aggression, which saw us cruise to a 34-14 win. A true highlight of the season was a nice chip and chase from Scott, who then exclusively stepped off his right and never his left until an offload to Ollie for an easy run in under the posts, who celebrated with grace by shouting, punching the air and claiming all the glory as Scott lay in a heap. It was around this point where some more of the younger years really started to find their feet, as Omar and Matthew started to grow into a great second row pairing, especially off the kick offs. With high spirits, we travelled to Bradford, only to be humbled again with a very weak performance. I wish I could say more on the matter, but I can’t remember much about the game, and it’s hard to watch a video when the cameraman Eli leaves the lens on for the whole game. Thanks Eli. Woodhouse Grove was our next game, which ended up being our first loss at home, which definitely stung for the team, but I’m sure that we can agree as a team they were a strong opposition who deserved it, despite us playing well. A key player to talk about there was Sam S, who showed his much needed speed for the season in this game by finishing off a great set piece move by hitting a gap and beating the whole defence in a race. Next game was another very big game for us, which was the local derby of RGS. This game was particularly frustrating, as we knew we had the potential to shock them, but we just couldn’t seem to get out of second gear. Passes, weren’t going to hand, players ran in alone, and kicks didn’t seem to make touch (Scott). It wasn’t all bad though, as Eli managed to get a late try and could have potentially sparked a comeback if only it was ten minutes earlier. However, this was our last official 15’s loss, and it was only up from here. Next was away at Giggleswick, which ended up being a nice victory, but definitely could have been a better for us. It wouldn’t make sense for me to not talk about the dislocated elbow of Will C which actually made me visibly gag on the video, who was having a great season and I’m sure will be a key player next season for us if he stops being made of glass. After that it was smooth sailing to a 50 nil win but Callum, charitable as he is, decided he had to give them a try by passing it straight to them. A memorable moment was Richard’s lovely kick in behind, which Jye finished off by chasing, which was a good show of both skill and our physicality, which especially Richard has been working on relentlessly in the gym. The next was home to Dame Allans, who were coming with a lot of confidence, and we had a point to prove. This game really showcased everything we, bar Mitchy, had learned in training, and it was obvious how much we had grew as a team. With good physicality and organisation in defence, precise execution of our tactics in attack, and Ollie setting the standards by being the smallest person on the pitch fighting everyone, it was an overall complete performance from us. A satisfying try in particular, although it was hard to choose one, was Callum’s t-dog, which we practiced in training beforehand as he and Will P sent the defence to the shops for an easy try. In the end, we can say it was a good win and the revenge was sweet for us, and they were clearly wound up, as the best insult they could come up with for Ollie was that he had a pink gumshield. Good one. Our last fifteens game of the season was against Ripon, which was quite an experimental game, with three Year 11s making their debuts, so firstly very well done to them, as they all put in performances expected of regulars. However, it would be unfair to not point out the debut hattrick of Dan T, which put him three tries ahead of my two-year playing record, so that’s not frustrating at all. But that game clearly showed how well we have grown as a team, and how we learned to work together in order to execute the best plan for every situation, like Scott’s kicking, our lineouts and mauling, as well as complex backs moves. With this, we moved into the 7’s season. Our first tournament in Ampleforth was a good start for us, with us coming second in the group to St Peters without any training. We ended up going out in the semis, but it wasn’t a bad starting point at all, especially considering we had players missing due to mocks. The next big tournament for us was the north of England sevens, which was hosted in Liverpool. An overall good performance saw us unluckily place third in the group after good solo performances from Callum and Scott, as well as a dream scenario for Sam S as his shirt got tore off, sadly there were no girls in sight for him, so he immediately found a replacement. After that we had a good run of form in the bowl knockouts that saw us get to the finals, however in the end maybe fatigue had set in but we just couldn’t get going as good as we know we can play and we ended up losing in the finals. This was particularly frustrating as both the group stage and the knockouts weren’t a real fair reflection of how we did play over the course of the tournament, but we had to move on as the next fixture was right around the corner, and this was Murchiston sevens. Sadly though, it was another frustrating performance from us as we never really got going in any of the games, and with Rosslyn Park sevens coming up very soon it highlighted everything that we needed to work on and fast. So, to finish off our season the boys headed down to Rosslyn Park, and after the first game we were feeling very confident. This was a game against the Belgian side which showed a complete performance from everyone to beat them by nearly 60 points, but in the sweltering heat open the boys clearly needed a break so we had a nice hour nap before the next game. Then for the next game after a bit of training and Scott complaining about his illness for what felt like days, we were ready for game #2 in the group which was against a Welsh side who we believed could pose a challenge. Clearly, we aren't the best judges of character though as they posed no more of a threat to us than the Belgian team. Great performances from Callum, Jay, and Tadi so spotter them in move on to the final game in the group which was a must win against big rivals RGS Newcastle. We all know how much we hate our GS, and we knew we were going to give everything we could to beat them but sadly everything wasn't enough, as we were thoroughly beaten. So sadly, this was the end to mine and all my mates in Year 13s time as the Durham School first team, and although it wasn't the way we wanted it to end I'm sure we couldn't ask for a better group of lads to play a final year of schoolboy rugby with. Luckily Bedders managed to sort us out and this wasn't our last game the green and white and we were able to celebrate our time playing from school playing against Saint Mary's Crosby in a thriller game that ended 28-27 to them, I'm sure none of the players or supporters would complain about the final game of our season. A personal highlight for me was scoring my first ever try in the green and white, and without any bias at all I must say it has to be the greatest try ever scored in the green and white and no one can prove me wrong, especially if I ignore all attempts. So firstly from me and all the boys who played with me this year, we would like to thank all of you who've come and show your support for us over every game this season and over the years, we all know how much fun it is to play in front of a bigger crowd and we thank you all four years of dedication, especially our own parents plus sometimes forcing us to training, driving us to and from games, and in my case giving detailed criticism which to be fair helped me grow into the player I am today. Secondly from me I want to thank all the boys sitting on the first team table as there is no captain without the team. All of you, particularly vice captains Jay and Will P, have helped me personally make this year the best year of rugby I possibly could have asked for so thank you all. On top of that I also want to thank all of the younger players for putting in their biggest efforts this year from what I can tell there's loads of promise and loads of potential in every year and I'm sure that you all will be able to go on and make your years in first team much better then we managed to make it. Last but not least I want to thank the coaches, as without you guys, we'd be an absolute shambles of a group. Scott would never make touch, Hugo would still drop the ball 40 times rather than 20, and Jay would probably be 9. So, to show our appreciation for all you've done for us over the years please accept these little gifts from everyone. Thank you all for listening, I hope you all have an amazing rest of the night, Floreat Dunelmia. Daniel Toole U16s Captain Good evening ladies and gentlemen I’d like to start by saying the u16’s season has been a very tough but also very enjoyable season for everyone this year. For the rugby union season, we started off well with a big win to NSB despite the fact we were only playing with 14 men the score was 55-19 with some excellent skills from backs and forwards on display. Unfortunately, the good results stopped there however the effort levels did not, as a team we kept on improving throughout season specifically our tackling and our ability to use the full width of the pitch. A highlight for our rugby union year would be our home game against RGS. We started our match poorly by conceding a lot of tries but never gave up and with some physical strength from Max P and Will C we managed to bring the game to a final score of 24-42 which could have been an even closer game if Theo J knew how to put the ball down on the try line instead of walking into touch. As the season went on we played a lot more like a team as shown in our games not just from Mr Bedworth shouting at us a little bit less but from our ability to link up with other players on the team and score some amazing tries in the season. This season has been tough, and we are thankful to the older lads for playing down for the u16s so that we could play our games of rugby. Onto the 7s season we lacked confidence from our previous results in playing rugby union but were able to put out a strong team including some of the boys from the u15s team. We started off not on best form losing most of our games until we went to Merchiston Castle 7s tournament in Scotland. After a 3-hour drive and from Mr Bedworth deciding we needed to leave at a stupid time in the morning, we played our first game against George Watsons losing with an end score of 43-0. We all thought it was going to be a painful day until Mr Powell delivered us an amazing speech along the lines of “you better get your head out of your asses and play like you want win“ for us that was all we needed to hear going on to win the rest of the games that day raising our hopes for the remainder of the season. A highlight for our 7s season would have to be our trip down to Rosslyn Park. Again, from our past results no one was expecting to win any games but after some amazing performances of strong running by Zack H, Will M, and Lorennzo S also with some great drop kicks from Alex Huntley we managed to prove ourselves wrong and win 3 games meaning that we came out at the top of our group going into the qualifying round. Unfortunately we failed to qualify to the second day playing against Stowe School. It was a close match against a good opposition only losing 17-26. The trip to Rosslyn Park really brought us together as a team and I am really looking forward to playing with you all in future seasons to come. This year we have struggled with a lot of injuries causing a lot of the players to miss a few games. It started in pre-season when Will H thought he was indestructible with a tackle pad only to realise he wasn’t when he broke his wrist. Jack T missed a few games due to concussion hopefully next year he will be able to learn to tackle people without his face, and finally my favourite injury is for Lorennzo. He made a clear line break only to fall over, kick himself in the hand, and break it. Finally, I’d like to finish by saying thanks to the coaches for training us all season. Telling us what to do and how to improve and also thanks to the parents for your support in the freezing cold and getting us to training on time. I hope you all have a good evening. Floreat Dunelmia. Patrick Hogg U15 Captain Good evening ladies, gentlemen and fellow players. The U15s season went pretty well – all things considered. We got off to great start with Zack H scoring from kick off in the first 2 matches against Yarm and NSB – which we went onto win! We then travelled to Sedbergh without our strongest team I have to say due to a lot of players been injured, but the team was still pretty confident. We felt we would give them a good match and the score would be close – we got beat 49-0!!! With myself and Zack both on our way to hospital after the first 5 minutes – by the way cheers Rob for the lift! Ampleforth away was our next match and as our injury list increased we had to rely on Tom T to lead from the front and bring the boys home. This wasn’t an easy task as Ampleforth had a kid that made Mr Powell look small. After a hard graft the boys lost - but with a respectable score of 17-22. Then Will M returned from injury after a two year absence for our next game against Woodhouse Grove. We lost by two penalties 6-0 - we just couldn’t get the ball over the line! Then we had RGS in the third round of the national cup – a huge game for us! And one we were given first time privileges for. Our confidence was high as we had a fully fit team for the first time this season. It was very close as we went try for try with them the whole match. Lucas H was a force to be reckoned with running the ball in, making us yards, and then running the ball over the line himself. Then in the final 5 minutes of the match Matty H gets some space on the wing to walk one in to put us 24-21 with some great conversion kicking from Fishy. The match ended that way after a good defensive set. We faced St Peters in the next round of the cup. It was a very physical match but we were up for the fight again end to end in the first half – but St Peters ran away with it in the second half eventually winning 36-21. I must mention that St Peters were playing with an extra man that game - the one making all the decisions and I think the coaches and our supporters who travelled down to watch will also agree! The match against Ripon Grammar could possibly have been the coldest rugby match we have ever played in - with gales, hailstones, and torrential rain battering us! I hobbled off that game injured again – but the lads dug in and Jack M last minute try got us the win. Thanks, Will and Lucas for carrying me down to the SAN. So with the team once again being led by Tom T we played our final game against Dame Allans - another close one! Ajay from the U14s played a blinder and put Zack through for a try - then Ajay make the conversion to win us the game 12-10. Solid 15s season for the boys and I have to say our 10 Fishy did put some of the biggest hits in. So onto the 7s season – this won’t last long as we only played three tournaments one at Ampleforth where we were knocked out in the semi-finals - one at Barney which they won beating us in the final and then the county 7s where we got revenge by beating Barney in the final. I have to say George B surprised us all with his kicking - living up to all the chat he gives himself. Finally, I would like to thank all of the team and the coaches for a great season – here’s to the next. Thanks for listening and I hope you have an enjoyable evening. FLOREAT DUNELMIA Ajay Edwards U14 Captain Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for joining us here tonight to celebrate the 2021-2022 rugby season. This past years under 14s season has provided many ups and downs throughout 15 aside and 7 aside rugby. I would also like to thank the boys who represented the Durham School badge with great pride and determination. A proud example of this was the event of the team travelling to Sedbergh. Sedbergh always produce a great side and the result was certainly not in our favour. However, a week later Barnard Castle came to us with a strong side. At half time the scores where not looking to bright for us as Barney were winning 32-0. A sly comment was passed by one of their players which fired up our squad. He said that ‘This is just like a training session to us lads.’ I couldn’t have asked for a better response from the team as they did not pass any comments back but instead took it on the chin and made sure to bring the game to them in the second half. With a length of the field try from Som O and an outstanding team effort with some great hands in the 22, resulted in Fergus F scoring to draw the game with five minutes left. Converting the kick gave us the edge. With a fantastic defensive effort from the lads proving how much we all wanted it, the game was won 34-32. With reflection, determination, and great passion. We were able to bounce back that following week after Sedbergh and beat Barnard Castle. The 15 aside season has provided lots of positive points and a handful of things to work on next season. Our under 14s rugby team has improved hugely since the start of the season with a couple of new signings and a general good work ethic from the lads. I’m looking forward to working and playing alongside them next season. Our sevens season started off with a home tournament. In the sessions leading up to the cup we looked at how to keep our width in defence, turn the ball over, and exploit the space in attack. The boys worked hard to take this out onto the pitch. This hard work paid off as we finished second in the group competing for the plate. To do so we first had to overcome Bradford. With Euan O stepping some of the opposition into next week, and a fantastic David versus Goliath show put on by William S (William quite obviously being the David). Took advantage of this inspiring moment and went on to beat Bradford Grammar. The team’s effort throughout the tournament did not represent the final score for the plate, unfortunately being on the receiving end of the final. The team had no time to dwell on this as a few weeks later we travelled to Scotland for the Merchiston sevens tournament. The team played quite well and adapted to the situation when roles were switched around as princess, or me for short, had picked up an injury. The highlight for the sevens season happened to be Rosslyn Park. I’m sure all the lads that took part in the event would agree, plus Cael who took advantage of a free holiday. Unfortunately, we left empty handed, but the display of rugby from our team was outstanding. Never once backing down and kept pushing through the tough opponents we had to face. It created fantastic memories that I’m sure the lads will cherish forever and was ultimately a great couple of days which we all enjoyed. One thing we couldn’t possibly forget was the amazing staff we had been provided with to accompany and guide us on tour. Many thanks to Mr Fishwick and Mr Jenkinson. This past season has certainly been one to remember. I don’t think any of the boys would have changed the lads and coaches that have been around this past season. I am sure the coaches have learnt a thing or two from the boys, but we couldn’t have asked for any more from Mr Jenkinson and Mr Woodward teaching us so much throughout. Great thanks from all the lads and it’s been a pleasure to have been taught and coached by the pair of great teachers you are. I would like to invite our vice-captain Euan O up, and present sir with his gift. (couldn’t have done it without you Claire.) Unfortunately, Mr Woodward couldn’t make it here tonight but many thanks to him as well. Thank you all for listening Rowan Bainbridge U13 Captain Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, and fellow players, I am Rowan, Captain of the U13s Good results (including 7s) Our season this year has been extremely successful. We remain unbeaten in 13 a side. We had several notable wins such as 50-0 against Austin Friars and 40-30 against Yarm and some really well fought games such as our draws with RGS and Barnard Castle. In the Rugby sevens we had a great tournament at St Peter’s and some notable games at Terrington Hall and Woodhouse. Development points as a team (what have you learnt?) This season we have learnt our individual strengths as a team which has enabled us to gradually form as a better side. Individual performances of note Here are a few words about our team members: Kaidon - many good full length runs of the pitch. Spencer - setting the tone in his position as scrum half Toby – his courageous tackling Lewis – his determination to keep going when the opposition are grappling with him Louie – leading the battle on the field Hayden – coming on brilliantly this season which was highlighted in his performance at Barnard Castle Jackson – excellent break away runs down the wing Oliver – never shying away from a tackle when its needed Will – desire to come back from injury and show his talent Mason – joined us towards the end of the season showing his desire to win Zeph – his brilliant turn of pace Thomas – has put in many solid performances in getting us out of trouble at crucial moments Tom – great side stepping breaking through the line to get us on the front foot Any comedy moments that might interest the audience Some funny moments are the courageous battles in the middle of the pitch that Louie had with the ball whilst Jackson had several battles on the other side of the pitch without the ball. Another funny moment was when Mr Bedworth and Mr Gerrard called us for training and none us knew or had our boots… we played in the thick mud and whilst Zeph was tearing down the wing, we were all chasing him, falling flat on our faces! As Captain of the U13s team this season I am very proud of what we have achieved. I would like to say a huge thank you to all our coaches (Mr Powell, Mr Jenkinson and Mr Bedworth) and a special thank you to Mr Gerrard for coaching us all year – I hope you have all enjoyed it as much as we have. Also thank you to our parents for all their support and travelling to watch us, we appreciate it. Finally, I hope you all have an enjoyable evening. Floreat Dunelmia Oliver Jackson U12 Captain Good evening ladies, gentlemen, and fellow players. Our rugby year started with competitions at Dame Allan’s and the Tait Tens over at Barnard Castle back in September. We had a solid start to the season against some bigger and stronger opposition coming away with a number of wins and learning a lot playing against some better teams. As we moved through the season, I think one of our best games where everyone gave 100% was against Bradford Grammar School in October. We won the game on home turf and the win meant so much to all of us. Our team of coaches worked with us over the autumn and we were on a winning streak until just before Christmas and then faced a couple of difficult matches against Dame Allan’s and RGS! We lost these games but learnt so much from defeat. We then moved into rugby 7s season which we were looking forward to. This was a new format of the game for all of us and brought out new skills especially George B and his ability to run through the opposition. We were sad to lose Simon G to injury so early in the 7s season but pleased he’s back to fitness now. On behalf of the U12s I would like to thank all of the coaches and parents for supporting us in our first year of Durham School rugby, we hope there are many more to come. Finally, a special thank you to Mr Jenkinson – his super singing skills on the bus on the way to matches has made all the difference. I hope you all have an enjoyable evening. FLOREAT DUNELMIA. |