Behind The Scenes
With blockbuster numbers, high skill and a fired-up crowd of players, former pupils and parents, this traditional event is as strong as ever
FESTIVAL FEEL is what you get across two days at the Howden Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens. And that’s not just because the sun hammers down on the Thursday and then Wellies are a must on the Friday (rest in peace, trusty old trainers). No, it’s for all of it – the on-field entertainment, the colour palette of stalls and the continual murmur of sound. And, of course, the volume of human traffic here too.
According to the organisers, the 2024 edition of this schools sevens event was “nudging 15,000” participants across a week. From U14s right up, the action comes thick and fast. And so over two days we stopped by to see what makes an event like this tick, but also to try to understand why this sevens event has such enduring appeal... And what the future should hold for something of a rugby institution in this country.
It’s hard not to bump into people here. If you track Mark Durden-Smith walking one way, your eye will be pulled in another direction as Martin Offiah and son Tyler – who has just signed a first deal for Bath – mill around the main pitch. Sam Warburton is over there somewhere, as is sevens star Amy Wilson Hardy and Nolli Waterman. Alex Dombrandt is spotted; Jason Robinson hands out prizes. At one point we swear we even see a former Chelsea and England centre-back on the sidelines.
But the main attraction is the rugby. And with players aplenty strutting their stuff on the grass, you can understand why recruiters and talent scouts from unions and Premiership clubs swing by.
“It absolutely lifts my heart, as someone who’s passionate about the sevens game, to see young people in so many numbers playing the game I love and playing it to such a high standard,” says Olympic silver medal-winning, former GB captain Tom Mitchell, who we find pitchside. “I think each year the athleticism and the skill-set is growing and continues to surprise me.
“If I’m honest, I think the gap between the U18 Boys’ competition and the top level of sevens is not huge now. So it’s really encouraging to see the quality and everyone having a good time.
“That’s kind of what the sport is about: making some amazing memories, putting yourself into a bit of a hole during the 14 minutes of match play but just sharing some time with your mates. And that’s the same whether you’re an U13 at Rosslyn Park or playing on the SVNS Series. So it’s a nice mirroring of experiences across the board.”
The interesting thing is the resonance it has outside of this event, too. When
