On Saturday 9th December we hosted our Rugby OE lunch. It was a wonderful event attended by over 30 OE’s attending with school years ranging from 1947 – 2005. Special mentions to Afe Ogun and David Litchfield for bringing the Christmas cheer with their Christmas jumpers. Afe also paired his jumper with his old Epsom blazer – which was greatly needed as the weather proved to be wet and stormy.
As always, our fantastic catering team fed us well with curry, all the trimmings and a selection of delicious desserts.
The Head of Epsom College – Sir Anthony Seldon welcomed guests before Director of Development – Helen Tranter gave an address about rugby, the College and the ongoing work of the OE Club and Development office. The Vice President of the OE Club, Trevor Sears then thanked the College for their hospitality.
After lunch all headed down to the 1st team pitch to watch our 1st XV Team play their final game of the season against Hurst.
From the kick off, Epsom asserted their authority, exhibiting a commanding presence, particularly in open play. The forwards’ speed and physicality at the breakdown ensured a high tempo, one that they have strived for in many fixtures. The Hurst side, who were unable to make use of the strong wind in their favour, were pinned deep within their own territory. However, despite their territorial advantage and numerous scoring opportunities, Epsom struggled to convert their dominance into points.
The breakthrough finally came towards the end of the first half when Epsom powerfully exploited a gap in the defensive line, muscling their way through for a well-deserved try. Despite the initial flow and Epsom’s singular success, Hurst found their rhythm and began to tick the scoreboard over. Capitalising on the home team’s mounting fatigue, they executed a flurry of tries that tipped the scales decisively in their favour with a final score of 5-27 to Hurst.
Although we did not come away triumphant on this occasion it was great to see all our OE’s still so passionate and proud to be Epsomians.
