CALLINGTON Year 8 Rugby team represented Cornwall in the National School Rugby Finals on May 1.
Selection was based on the team reaching the final of the county rugby championships losing narrowly to Truro School. But as Truro is a public school Callington qualified for the national finals.
In the first game against the champions of Yorkshire, Callington conceded an early try. With games only lasting ten minutes this proved costly and the game ended one try to nil.
In the second game, with the impressive Jonnie Wadland starting as hooker and player of the tournament Matt Shipton, the son of Cornwall legend Dean Shipton, moving to scrum half, Callington started brightly. But the team lost their second game by the same score as the first.
By the third game the hard physical nature had led to two players being carried off with head injuries. Big tackles from Dan Benson and Captain Joth Oddie ensured Callington gained their first points of the tournament, drawing with the best team in Lancashire.
The final two games were bruising encounters. The first saw excellent running rugby played by Callington, giving them two tries scored by Dan Benson and Joth Oddie.
Some amazing tackling by James Best, who was stretchered off after eight minutes, kept Callington in the match until the last minute when a lapse in concentration let through the opposition to score the winning try.
The final game highlighted the team?s determination. With so many players bruised and battered coach Mr Hazeldine was just able to field 12 players. Credit must go to Adam Stocton who limped wearily onto the pitch after being carried off the pitch 30 minutes earlier.
The boys? tremendous spirit and excellent behaviour did not go unnoticed and the team were given free tickets to watch the Army and Navy match at Twickenham.