Brrrrrr. I hope you’re all keeping warm out there. I don’t think I can remember temperatures that have been so low for so long in this country. It’s not just at Pilgrims’ where fixtures have suffered. I know the situation has been widespread across our area with rugby and football affected. Sport has managed to escape the axe if they’ve been inside sports or on artificial surfaces – I got to see my son Hugo play for Littleton FC on Sunday afternoon on Toynbee’s artificial surface and my elder son Barney’s American Football went ahead down on the astro at Richard Taunton College in Southampton. If you’re interested in that kind of thing, you may also be interested to discover that the Superbowl this year falls in half-term. Well, good news if you’re a teacher perhaps. Nevertheless, there’ll be no Messrs Cleaver or Greenwood looking very tired on the Monday morning this year!
In the news, is the recent development in tackle height in rugby. Safety in rugby continues to be a conversation in the prep school world and community spheres of the game. I’m going to have a read and inwardly digest before I, no doubt, make comment in a future issue of Pitches.
RFU approves reduction in tackle height for England community game to improve player safety - BBC Sport
I have some additional fixtures to announce:
Boundary Oak can bring a team to play our Foals (Year 5) on Wednesday 22 February to supplement our fixture with Papplewick.
They can also supply two teams at the same age group to play us on Wednesday 1 March, away, supplementing our Farleigh block.
It’s a busy week of fixtures leading up to the exeat.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Under 9s (Year 4) are at home to Stroud. With a finish of circa 1530, sign out may occur from the Yard directly following match tea, the remainder of the afternoon lesson and prep being affected. We hope this will help with not needing to to-and-fro, but you may wish for your son to stay in for these and any commoner he may have.
Under 8s (Year 3) travel to Stroud School, Romsey. Again, sign-out is possible from Stroud. If any pupils return, there will be prep and any commoners for them. If you are intending for your son to sign-out at Stroud, please give him the heads-up, so he knows to bring his green bag with his uniform and prep.
On Wednesday, the U13 (Year 8) hockey and rugby are at Ludgrove as are Foals A and B (Year 5).
U12 A and B (Year 7), all Colts (Year 6) teams and the Touch squad (Seniors) are at home playing either Ludgrove or Stroud.
Foals C, Barbarians and All Blacks are away to Stroud, Romsey.
The Under 9s have coaching with a 1530 collection.
These arrangements encompass all players in Year 5 and up involved in straight matches, as opposed to triangulars or round robins, across contact and non-contact fixtures.
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This said, I was expecting temperatures to have risen as I write this on Sunday evening. Unfortunately, this now seems to have moved back to Thursday. I remain hopeful and, as ever, and would dearly like to see these fixtures go ahead. There will be pitch inspections this week on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.
On Friday afternoon, squads of cross-country runners across the Prep School from Years 3-8 will compete over at Eagle House School.
Further details of all these events can be found on our sports pages (SOCS) via our Parents’ Portal.
Andrew Short
Director of Sport
