Harrow School rugby coach James Melville could not contain his delight after he became the first man to lead the school to Continental Tyres Schools Cup glory.
In the battle of two unbeaten sides, Harrow nicked the Cup crown from Kirkham Grammar School as No.8 Reggie Hammick scored in overtime in a Twickenham thriller.
The core of the side also tasted success in last year’s Rosslyn Park sevens competition, but for the world-famous school, this was the one which really mattered.
“This was the big goal this year, the one we’ve never got before,” said master-in-charge of rugby Melville.
“What a performance from the boys and from both sides. There was an incredible atmosphere, incredible physicality, skill, speed and to have both schools going for it in the crowd it was just amazing and a great day for school rugby overall.
Limbs everywhere from the Harrow supporters!! Both sets of fans have made this an occasion.
— England Rugby Schools (@EngRugbySchools) March 14, 2024
Great support from @harrowschool and @KirkhamGrammar #ContinentalTyresSchoolsCup pic.twitter.com/MaTzUyFIeB
“We stuck at it and when we got near the line, I always back the boys to get over. It was tricky because they were pushing us back but they had composure and clarity in what they needed to do.
“They’ve had lot of big wins this year, so to have a close win shows their resolve - they’re a special group.”
In a game which swung one way and then the other, Harrow dealt the final blow for a 27-24 win to send their 1,000-strong travelling support into raptures.
Reflecting on an unforgettable season, Melville believes the seeds for success were first sewn on a pre-season trip to South Africa.
“It all started on tour in the summer,” he said. “It brought the group together and then playing on such a tough fixture list every week offers a challenge that really brought us together because we were battling every week.
“The last two or three months have been a case of staying calm and waiting to see if we could do it on the biggest stage and we just about did it.”
The day was also a celebration of girls rugby with 30 schools participating in the Girls' U12 Love Rugby Showcase Festival.
The schools were recognised and invited due to the development of their girls' rugby offering and display of the RFU’s Core Rugby Values.
Many of the girls playing at Twickenham were new to the sport, demonstrating the growth of the game supported by over 22,000 age grade girls registrations in the 2023/24 season.
Speaking about the honour of playing at Twickenham, Melville said: “We knew they would be nervous and that it’s a really big event.
“But I said I’ll be really angry if anyone leaves having not enjoyed themselves because that’s what it’s all about.
“We had a great warm up and they went into the home England changing rooms and took photos, videos, explored and we wanted them to create those memories and we can enjoy ourselves now.”
The Continental Tyres Schools Cup is an important part of the age-grade rugby landscape in England, with schools’ rugby often where players fall in love with the game for the first time. For more information visit the Continental Tyres Schools Cup section of the England Rugby Website
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