Friday night (4 September) was a special occasion for all at Bedford School as the rugby first team took to the Goldington Road pitch in front of 1,998 local fans to face Rugby School under the floodlights.
And despite the result, in which Rugby ran away with the second half down the slope, the occasion provided a professional experience for the boys of Bedford School, in front of a raucous crowd led by their peers.
With use of the facilities at Goldington Road, along with the full floodlit matchday experience including tannoy announcements, plus the noise of almost 2,000 fans, many of these schoolboys may not experience such an event again.
And with current and prospective parents looking on, both sides put on an excellent display of rugby union on an almost unique occasion.
Story of the match
Last year’s first team have adorned the Goldington Road turf already; in a 29-29 draw against Oakham School back in December, but with the turn of the school year came a number of debutants – 13 in all.
And with Bedford School playing down the slope in the first half, they were able to bounce back from an early sixth-minute try from Rugby to lead midway through the opening period.
Benji Wooding’s swan dive, along with a successful conversion from Oliver Bodfield brought the reds to within a single point, before the rapid pace of Fin Kirkham allowed the winger to dot down and give Bedford the lead three minutes later.
Both tries were greeted with raucous cheers from a boisterous group of Bedford School peers next to the Burrows, but a pair of tries from a highly efficient Rugby side left the visitors 18-12 ahead at the break.
But with the iconic slope against them, Bedford’s legs suffered in a second half dominated by an excellent Rugby setup.
Four more tries for the visitors left the final scoreline at 42-12, but the Bedford fans were not perturbed, cheering their school friends home to the very end.
Rugby’s try scorers were David Adeyemi, Jordan Johnson, Rob James-Pantoja and a brace apiece for Jimmy Loftus and hooker Elliot Marsh, who bookended the game with the first and final scores.
New coach announced
There was also a special announcement before the match, in which a new international-level player was announced as Bedford’s first XV head coach.
Former Head of School Fraser Dingwall, now captain of Northampton Saints and capped ten times by England, was announced as the team’s new coach and will hope to inject even more professionalism into proceedings.
The special announcement, along with a memorable rugby occasion, left Bedford School’s new headteacher, Mr Michael Sloan, extremely proud of his students.
“What struck me most on Friday evening was the tremendous sense of community that was on display throughout the event”, said Mr Sloan.
“Seeing the Bedford School community come together in such numbers to support our boys was truly special and a powerful reminder of the spirit that defines our school.
“Boys, both on and off the pitch, conducted themselves impeccably and were a real credit to themselves, their coaches and their parents, embracing the occasion with maturity and real determination.
“To have the opportunity to play on such a professional pitch in front of a crowd of around 2,000 people is an experience that very few schoolboys will enjoy, and I have no doubt it is a memory our 1st XV players will cherish for many years to come.”
The season-opening occasion opens another season of rugby union at Bedford School, with the main rugby campaign occurring throughout the autumn, before turning to Sevens rugby in the spring.
School fixtures include opponents such as Radley College, Rugby School, Warwick School and Eton College, while the fixture against Dulwich College remains the longest-running schoolboy fixture in the world.
And with the continued partnership with the academy staff at Northampton Saints, the boys of Bedford School are well set for another rugby union campaign.
“The evening was made even more memorable by the announcement that Old Bedfordian, England international and Northampton Saints captain Fraser Dingwall will be coaching our 1st XV this season”, added Mr Sloan.
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Fraser back to Bedford School and know that his leadership and affinity with the school will be hugely inspirational for our players.”
This was a proper multi-community effort, bringing together Bedford School, Bedford Blues Rugby Club, and the team at the Bedford Independent.
We were delighted to play our part on the day, providing match-day interviews and handling PA announcements to support both teams, the club, and all the rugby fans who came out to support their teams.
