Butlins

And so the season ends, with an epic tour to the Leicester Tigers Challenge at Butlins Minehead resort.

Some of the parents took the opportunity to arrive early, ostensibly to avoid any problems with traffic, which was horrendous. Beaming faces greeted is though and what was beyond doubt was that everyone looked as though they were having a great time.

The boys were safe to roam the resort, with mild supervision at a very family friendly venue.

“Basic”, seemed to be a general description for the accommodation, although at some stage, the boys descended on chez Christopher, whose lakeside chalet earned the accolade “awesome”. Such lavish praise appeared to be based in part, on the fact that there was a balcony, which, as Frankie was able to demonstrate, doubled up as a means of entry. Why use the front door when there is a perfectly good balcony to shimmy up?

The boys all engaged in some fairly innocent high jinx throughout the weekend and really bonded socially.The pool was also a big hit with the boys, especially the slides.

As for the rugby, the boys excelled against some really good teams. They didn’t always have the rub of the green from those officiating, but they took it on the chin when things didn’t quite go their way, and played on.

They scored some memorable tries, (particularly the one that went through every players’ hands before being touched down in the right corner), and they tackled, rucked and mauled fantastically. Their defence in the game against Milton Keynes was just outstanding, and was the main factor in that win.

The injury count was not as high as might have been expected, although Freddie took a nasty blow to the head in the final game, and Jack also took a blow to the face in the penultimate game.

The games were played for the most part in great spirit, although the penultimate game on Saturday got a bit feisty, - albeit not because of anything attributable to our boys.

The final game of the season was won, finishing what has been a very successful year for the U12s. The opportunity to get selfies with the likes of Neil Back at the awards ceremony was gratefully accepted by some of the boys. It was however, Neil Backs words which he made in a speech prior to the awards ceremony that are worth remembering, the gist of which were,.....in rugby, without your team mates, you cannot succeed. Rugby, the ultimate TEAM sport. When the OBs U12s play as a team, they are a match for any side, as they have proved this season, and on tour.

Thanks to Jason and all the coaches who give up their time to develop these boys. To Gary, Rachel and Anne, and to all those who made this tour possible with their hard work, on behalf of the boys, a big thank you. They really appreciate all your efforts, and they all had a great time. Finally, thank you to all the parents involved with this team, your support has lifted the boys when they needed it, and we now have a new parent to rival Anne for the title of most vocal and vociferous supporter. Well done Chelsea!