Written by OC Johnny Walster:

"This May, we took an Old Canfordians side to the Bournemouth Sevens, one of the best tournaments on the summer sevens calendar, and put in a performance that exceeded all of our expectations.

We won four of our five games, playing some excellent rugby throughout the weekend. Our run came to an end in the semi-finals with a narrow defeat to Nottingham University Rugby League, a result that stung, but one I think we can all look back on with real pride given the level of opposition and the quality of rugby we showed across the tournament.

A big part of what made the weekend so special was getting the Class of 2024 back together. There is something about a sevens tournament that strips things back, fast rugby, the sun out, and people you haven’t seen since school. It felt like a proper reunion as much as a rugby trip, and that is exactly the spirit we wanted to build the OCs side around.

The plan is to make this an annual fixture, hopefully next year, including a wider range of OC’s from all different years and ages. With a performance like this in year one, I have no doubt we’ll be back and pushing even further.

A final word of thanks:

None of this would have been possible without the generosity of the OC community. The funding and support you provided made it possible to enter the tournament, get the squad together, and give this group of young players an experience we won’t forget. It is genuinely appreciated, and we look forward to repaying that support with another strong showing in 2027.

Squad of OC’s
Johnny Walster (Captain) L24
Thomas Hopwood W24
Edward Schuster-Bruce L24
Finn Janaway F24
Jansci Motsi M24
Tele Okubanjo M24
Thomas Kiff L24
Max Firth F24
Sam Martin W24
Jimmy Johnson F24
Jasper Bowley W25

The festival was an amazing experience in its own right. Beyond the rugby, it was a proper music festival - great acts, great energy, and a brilliant atmosphere from start to finish. It was exactly the kind of bonding time that money can’t really plan for, and it made the whole weekend feel like so much more than just a tournament."