Woolverstone Hall School Rugby - 1951 to 1976 - by Jerry Page

It should not be overlooked that, over the years, Woolverstone met with considerable success at the various Sevens Tournaments it entered. The first invitation for Woolverstone to participate in such an event was in season 1958/59 although the tournament - The Suffolk Seven-a-Side Competition, held at what became a familiar ground, Humber Doucy Lane in Ipswich - was played in the summer term 1959. It seems after a four week holiday, at Easter there 'was much vigorous activity at the beginning of term in the 1st XV getting fit after the four weeks lay-off. The first team consisted of Newsham, Wilds, Poyntz, Blake, Coutts, Marriott and House.

The team did well in its first two games, winning 24 - 0 and 22 - 0. The third match against a strong Ipswich Club side saw a hard encounter, with Woolverstone winning 14 -11 in extra time. The next round the team beat Felixstowe 6 - 0 thus moving into the final against Ipswich YMCA. Sadly, however, our team lost in extra time 8 - 11 but, nevertheless, this seems to have been an excellent performance considering our inexperience but it gave us a taste for the event. As we all know, sevens can be very tiring but it does allow skilful players, with the extra space available, to demonstrate their skills to the full.

1959/60: Rather unfortunately, the following year 1959/60, we also were losing finalists going down 5 -12 to the Jacobeans, i.e. Ipswich School and the team consisted of Gardner, Poyntz, Head, Fletcher, Gentry, BlairHickman and Smith.

1961/62: There is no mention of our participating in the tournament in the next few years - perhaps it was not held - but the School entered the YMCA U16 Sevens Competition in season 1961/62. Rather surprisingly we were beaten 0 - 3 in the first game to Northgate but managed at least to go on to win the loser's final.

1962/63: The Ipwich Colts Seven-a-Side Competition in 1962/63 saw Woolverstone enter a side without three key players, Bentley, Rashid and Coe who were all `unfit' (or should this mean injured?). Despite this, the team progressed to the final only to be beaten in the last few moments 6 - 8 so alas we were foiled again! The ensuing year saw the school enter two teams in The Ipswich Colts Seven-a-side Competition with two players missing through injury Rashid and Webb. The 2nd VII easily beat Sudbury 13 - 0 in their first game but lost 5 - 6 in the next round to a strong St Joseph's 1st VII. The 1st VII, however, managed to beat teams quite easily on their way to the final against the Jacobeans, which game we lost 8 - 10 in a very tight game with six players after Brown was injured and had to go off. It appears luck was not on our side as 'Snuggs tripped going for a certain try' and was unlucky with a narrowly missed penalty. The U13 XV age group fielded two sevens teams in the Ipswich Schools' Seven-a-side competition. The 1st V11 beat Ipswich School 9 - 0 in the final and the 2nd Vll won the loser's final. All in all, this was a successful year for the school's rugby sevens sides. Well done.

1967/68: The Ipswich Sevens trophy was retained in 1967/68 with another hugely talented team comprising Mattey, Beresford, Godfrey, Turner, Cottrell, Barron and Davies. Galpin substituted for Mattey who received an injury. No details are published other than we scored `more than 80 points' yet only conceded 8. No mention is made of the Oxford Sevens so presumably we were not entered for the tournament that year.

1968/69: In 1968/69 we went one better by winning two tournaments. The Ipswich Sevens Competition was cancelled but teams were entered for both the YMCA and Holbrook Sevens with the following seasoned campaigners :- Mattey, Radford, Cottrell, Turner, Baldwin, Beresford and Galpin. More details are available this year. In the YMCA Sevens, our team beat St Joseph's 24 - 0, Northgate 24 - 3, Jacobeans 18 - 10 and in the final we demolished Colchester 23 - 0. In the Holbrook Sevens we beat Holbrook in the first game 13 - 0 (showing total disrespect to the hosts, perhaps) and went on to beat the Jacobeans 2nd VII 18 - 0 in the next game which was followed by a victory over Norwich 18 - 5. In the final the old enemy the Jacobeans was waiting. We beat them 15 - 8. Perhaps this year we should have entered the Oxford Sevens that year as well.

1969/70: In 1969/70 The Oxford Sevens again proved to be our Achilles Heel - we were again knocked out in the first round. We entered two teams for the Ipswich Sevens where our 1st VII were knocked out in the semifinal. Do not despair though, for their victors were a side captained by that old rascal Louis Parperis, namely Woolverstone's 2nd VII!! By all accounts, the 2nd team played some wonderful rugby and confidently strode into the final where they beat Colchester convincingly. Marvellous stuff again.

1970/71: In 1970/71 there is no report at all for the 1st XV which had won all its games and no mention either is made of the fact the team won the Ipswich Sevens. How modest! It appears the Colts entered an Ipswich Sevens tournament with the lst VII losing in the semi-finals and the 2ndd team losing the loser's semi-final.

1971/72: The following year season 1971/72 saw the school's 1st VII win the Ipswich Sevens 'for the seventh year in succession' (I actually think it was six) in some style. The team was also entered for the Oxford Sevens Senior B Section. No Woolverstone team had ever won a game at the Oxford Sevens but not only did this team win its first game, but it also went on to win the final very convincingly, against Whitefriars 20 - 4. This was a fabulous day out - I was the touch judge that day and it is one I shall remember forever. The team comprised Thompson, Vidler, Fuzzey, Seidel, Waight, Coote and Baker.

1972/73: Despite the success of the 1971/72 1st VII, it appears the senior side did not enter any sevens competitions the following year 1972/73 which, in fact, was not the most successful of seasons for the 1st XV. The U16's entered two teams for the local Inter-School Sevens. This was a good move for the two teams met in the final where the lst VII were victorious (perhaps making amends for the `injustice' inflicted by Louis Parperis on the 1st VII some years earlier!!). The team was made up of Davis, Harffey, Kelleher, McGarian, Parker, Grimley and Fludgate. During this competition the two teams managed to score 84 points and conceded none (other than the final presumably!) so this is another excellent achievement. The 2nd VII deserves a mention individually and this team was as follows:- Thomas, Ruffle, Hayter, Seecoomah, Miller, Gardner and Brown.

1973/74: Next season 1973/74 was a curious one, for whilst the 1' XV again did not have a particularly good season, an U16 VII entered the Oxford U16 Sevens A section and progressed through to the final where, sadly, it lost a tight game 6-16. The opposition scored a converted try in the last minute to make the score more flattering but nevertheless this was a very good achievement by our team. The team was Thomas, Ruffle, Hayter, Kelleher, Fludgate, Parker and Brown. No mention is made of the Ipswich Sevens this year.

1974/75: Season 1974/75 saw the School 1" VII enter the Oxford Sevens U19 A Section where it progressed to the quarter final, losing to the eventual winners St Edwards, Liverpool 0 - 14. The players are not named.

There is no mention of the Ipswich Sevens this year which presumably we did not enter, which is a shame given the success in the Oxford Sevens.

1975/76: It seems the school's reputation in Sevens tournaments, as well as 15-a-side presumably, had not gone unnoticed for season 1975/76 saw the school Ist VII enter the Ipswich Sevens, the Rosslyn Park Sevens and the Oxford Sevens U19 A Section. All these competitions after the School's 1st XV had a magnificent season winning 15 of its 16 games including the notable wins at Millfield and Reading. We won the Ipswich Sevens, beating Framlingham, Holbrook and Culford thereby entering the final against our old adversaries Ipswich School who we duly thrashed 22 - 4. We progressed to the last 32 of the Rosslyn Park Sevens, where we lost to the eventual losing finalists, St Benedict's Ealing. It appears the Oxford Sevens took place the following day and the first game was against St Benedict's Ealing over whom revenge was taken as they were defeated `easily'. The team progressed to the semi-final where it met, as in the previous season, St Edwards, Liverpool. However the Gods of Revenge did not favour us a second time and we lost that game 6 - 16. St Edwards went on to win the trophy again. The team comprised, for the three tournaments, Kelleher, Parker, Thomas, Mirza, Hayter, Grimley, Whiteman with Ruffle a substitute.

1976/77: The final year of this project, 1976/77, saw the team enter no less than four competitions - the Ipswich Sevens, the Essex Sevens, the Rosslyn Park Sevens and the Oxford Sevens. These guys must have been fit! The Essex Sevens had been won for many years by Campion (a bit like Woolverstone and the Ipswich Sevens really). It was fitting that we should proceed to the final and beat yes Campion by 10 - 6. Our team scored a total of 79 points against the 6 scored by Campion. The Ipswich sevens proved, it seems, no more than a canter. Northgate, Holbrook and Framlingham were soundly beaten by scores of 28 - 4, 20 - 0 and 16 - 0 respectively. In the final St Joseph's were demolished 28 - 0.

In the two national tournaments, the team 'were narrowly beaten in the later stages' by Kings Macclesfield on both occasions but had given a truly good account of themselves in all competitions played. Well done. The squad was : - Thomas, Mirza, Halliday, Thompson, Taylor, Budden, Evans, Ayres, O'Driscoll.

1976/77 also saw the U14 enter two teams for the `South Suffolk' Sevens. Our two teams met in the semifinal which was won by the 1st VII which went on to beat St Joseph's in the final. There are no details as to the scores. The team was made up of Jones, Volpe, Penn, Young, Offiah C, Stanton and Callow.