Eagle News Jan 2012 - Bedford Modern School

INTER-OBM RUGBY 7s FESTIVAL
‘AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS’
On Saturday 3 September 2011, BMS hosted its very first
alumni Rugby 7s Festival with 11 teams and more than 125
OBMs taking part. The event, the brainchild of Chris Stephens
(1991-2001), was organised by Sarah Turnham from the
Schoolʼs Development Office. The eventual winners of the
tournament were the team of 2011 who beat their peers from
2007 in a closely-contested cup final by 35 points to 28. The
veteran team of the ʻNinetiesʼ won the shield competition, with
victory over the team of 2003 by 27 points to 14, while the
team of 2001, despite losing all their group games, were
victorious in the plate final, winning their match against the
team of 2008 by 24 points to 14. Nursing sore muscles, and
in one case a dislocated finger, the players gathered together
again for a black tie dinner in the evening to raise funds for the
development of rugby talent at BMS and for the Friends of
Rwandan Rugby. The guest speaker was Richard Chadwick
(Staff 1971-2009) who for many of the players was their
Rugby master.
Richard Claas, the Schoolʼs Development Director,
commented: ʻIt was a great day, with fantastic support from
both colleagues at the School and businesses in Bedford. I
was particularly pleased to see so many former parents
coming back to BMS to watch the matches and relive
memories of many an afternoon spent on the touchline
supporting their sons when they were at the School. After
such a successful event, which had all who took part in the
Festival talking about it for weeks later, we were left in no
doubt that we had to repeat it. Not wishing to leave other major
sports behind, the day has also galvanised us to run the first
Inter-OBM Cricket 6s Festival this summer. We are delighted
to have hit upon a formula which can involve so many OBMs
and provide everyone with an opportunity to enjoy a terrific
day back at their old schoolʼ. The inaugural Inter-OBM
Cricket 6s Festival will be held on Sunday 17 June 2012,
and the second Inter-OBM Rugby 7s Festival on Saturday
8 September 2012.
Inter -OBM Rugby 7s Festival
INAUGURAL INTER-OBM RUGBY 7s FESTIVAL
CUP COMPETITION
Semi-Finals
TEAM 2009 0 TEAM 2011 45
TEAM 2005 0 TEAM 2007 38
Final won by TEAM 2011 35 TEAM 2007 28
SHIELD COMPETITION
Semi-Finals
TEAM 1990s v TEAM 2002 - WALKOVER
(Team 2002 withdrew due to injuries)
TEAM 2003 21 TEAM 2006 19
Final won by TEAM 1990s 27 TEAM 2003 14
PLATE COMPETITION
(Straight final owing to the withdrawal of Team 2000 due to
exhaustion)
Final won by TEAM 2001 24 TEAM 2008 14
BMS would like to thank the many local companies for their
support and sponsorship of the Festival including Barworx,
The Blue Glass, The Embankment, Francesca Hardwick
Photography, Jeeves Barbers, Marquees with Pryde, and
The Wellness Hub. Photographs of the Festival can be
purchased from Francesca Hardwick Photography at
www.myimagesbyfrancescahardwick.co.uk The password to
access the OBM Rugby 7s Festival Gallery is ʻredandblack.ʼ
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