U16 Rugby Sevens reach National Finals

Shebbear College in Devon is celebrating the achievements of its talented U16 Rugby Sevens squad, who have once again reached the final of the Independent Schools Association (ISA) National Sevens Tournament!

The team, who won the ISA U14 National Sevens cup back in 2022, competed in the tournament at Colchester Rugby Club against ISA member schools from across the UK. They remained unbeaten throughout, reaching the cup final against Scarisbrick Hall School. This time, they lost out to the Lancashire school, but finished second nationally – a fantastic achievement for the team.

Rugby player Henry Hassell, whose family were local to the tournament and provided some much-appreciated support for the team, said: “It was a great tournament all round for us. There was plenty of individual skill on show, as well as some brilliant team cohesion. We were unfortunate not to win but had a great experience and enjoyed getting to the final.”

Shebbear College Rugby Coach, Chris Bryant, added: “The team performed well throughout the day, showing great adaptability to transition to sevens rugby in the middle of the autumn season. The boys can be proud of their efforts, putting in dominant performances against some tough opposition and did extremely well to reach the final.”

Chris continued: “It was disappointing to lose the final, but looking forward, we can remain confident of our ability to compete with the best. We know what needs fixing, and with a bit of hard work from the squad, we can get very excited for future tournaments. We always have a great support network of parents and family members, so thank you to everyone that made the long journey to Colchester to support the team!”

The Independent Schools Association (ISA) represents some of the UK’s best independent schools, working closely with Headteachers and other professional bodies to promote excellence in independent education. Being a member enables Shebbear College to compete in sporting tournaments across the country.

Congratulations to everyone at the College for a magnificent achievement and the hope for next year better is to go one better in the showpiece final.