Rugby at John Fisher has a proud tradition and is the major sporting code for the first two terms. It is a sport that instills values such as integrity, sportsmanship, loyalty, discipline and hard work.
Our school's policy of participation in extra-curricular activities, as well as the passion shown by the boys, enables over five hundred youngsters each week the opportunity of experiencing the ultimate team sport. Fielding up to 24 teams on a weekend allows boys from all levels and abilities to be part of this wonderful game. At John Fisher we encourage full participation irrespective of ability; hence the U12G Team is just as important as the 1st XV.
Fixtures during the season are against some of the major rugby playing schools in England such as RGS High Wycombe, Eton College, Dulwich College and Whitgift School.
Our 1st XV take part in the 'invite only' tournaments at St Joseph’s College, Ipswich and we also enter the highly competitive national Natwest Schools Cup at U15 and U18 level (formally known as the Daily Mail Cup).
The second half of the spring term is Rugby Seven-a-side. John Fisher will take part in many prestigious school, county, and national competitions. The Sevens season always culminates in the Rosslyn Park National Sevens tournament for our Under 13s, Under 16s and Seniors. Over the years, our first VII have enjoyed much success in this competition. Most recently they finished as runners up in 2014 and 2015. On both occcasions, the finals have been replayed at Twickenham Stadium during the HSBC London Sevens weekend, which is the final event in international world series. The highlight was beating Millfield 38-5 in front of a crowd of 70,000 - see the photo gallery below.
Every two years, the senior rugby players at John Fisher have the opportunity to go on tour. Historically, students embarked on tours to Ireland and Canada. More recently, South Africa and New Zealand have become the prefefrred destinations. All boys that regularly represent the school, irrespective of their ability or team that they play for, are given the chance to tour. Additionally, a significant amount of fundraising is undertaken to ensure that all boys, regardless of their financial situation, are given the opportunity to enjoy the once in a lifetime experiences that touring gives.
If you have any queries or questions, you can email johnfisherschool@johnfisherschool.org, for the attention of Mr Street, Head of Rugby