Above: The U18 Kent Cup team Top right: The 1st XV
Below right: The U14 team who won the Downsend Schools Sevens Cup
Individually, students have been putting in some great effort. In particular: Fred Matthews, an U14A forward who expanded his skill set through goal-kicking clinics, increasing his positional versatility; Hamish McQueen, the 1st XV outside half who excelled this term, completing his third year as a 1st XV player, balancing academics with high-level rugby aspirations, including a Scotland U18 trial; Billy Boomgaardt, who scored a stunning solo try against King’ s Canterbury earning an unfortunate injury in the process( we live and learn!); Alex Belov, who made a remarkable journey from U14C to U14A due to dedication and improvement; and Arthuro Stephan, 1st XV captain, whose leadership and influence extend well beyond the field.
Looking ahead, the focus is on refining individual development, identifying super strengths, opening up performance pathways and helping every player make a meaningful impact within their teams.
Jamie Cullen
1ST XV
The rugby season of the 1st XV was, in many ways, a success. When reflecting on our performances, the team’ s development throughout the season stands out as a highlight. The pride that comes with representing the 1st team is immense, and many Lower Sixth players experienced this from the very first team meeting, where Arthuro was announced as the new captain. The honour of wearing the 1st team jersey is incomparable, even in the face of some disappointing results. Unfortunately, the season began
with a tough loss to Caterham, and many injuries littering the starting 15 only caused team morale to decline further.
As the season progressed, we took those initial losses to heart. Every Monday evening was spent working on our fitness. These sessions were gruelling, but the desire to improve, along with Mr Cullen’ s words,‘ Dig deep and find something to keep you going,’ pushed us to finish every one. The time spent together chasing a common goal brought us closer, and by celebrating even the smallest achievements, our confidence as a team began to rebuild.
After weeks of training in cold, gloomy rain, we earned a hard-fought and widely celebrated win over Bishop’ s Stortford just before half-term: a result we’ re still proud of today. That boost in morale gave us momentum, and we returned after the break with a series of confident wins. While results mattered, the proudest moments came from seeing our off-pitch efforts come to life on match days. In this sense, the season was a success. Despite early setbacks, the team remained committed and developed with unity and determination.
Linus Thielen, Lower Sixth
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