Page 44 - OO_2019

SPORT
A successful year
By Al Gordon (C 69)
It has been – and hopefully will continue to be – a successful year for OO Sport and OO sportsmen and women. First, Oundle Rovers ‘won’ the Cricket World Cup! It wasn’t entirely single-handed, of course, but with Tom Harrison (G 89) at the helm of the English Cricket Board as the CEO, we can congratulate him on masterminding a very successful
campaign, culminating in the thrilling Super Over finish at Lord’s. We also wish Tom and the team all the best with the launch of The Hundred competition in July 2020. Secondly, the OORUFC are going to ‘win’ the Rugby World Cup in November! Again, that is a bit of a stretch, but the England cause will be assisted by Tom Curry (G 16), now that he has secured a back-row shirt for himself. We wish him all the best in Japan. And last, but by no means least, Oundle Rovers reached the final of The Cricketer Cup at Arundel. Unfortunately, they lost by six wickets to Old Tonbridgians, the 16- time winners, but Rovers President Tim Elliott (St A 77), captain Greg Smith (St A 07) and the squad deserve immense congratulations for their efforts over the last two seasons.
The only small blot on the landscape was allowing the School to retain the Multisports Weekend trophy in March, so that they now shade the series 6-5. However, it was the usual competitive encounter and was coupled with a great social evening in The Ship on the Saturday night, followed by a lunch and presentation on the Sunday, with some 120 OOs returning to the scenes of their former sporting glories. The highlights included a penalty shootout to determine both the football and the mixed hockey; Danny Grewcock (ex-England and British Lions) turning out on the Saturday for the OORUFC Vets and single-handedly pushing the opposition scrum off the ball; Danny sympathetically refereeing the OORUFC Over-21s v OORUFC Under-21s; Arthur Marment (D 77) and Lance Ashworth (G 82) guiding tennis to an overall victory while dispensing their usual excellent hospitality courtside; a first appearance of the OO netball team; and a hugely entertaining afternoon of mixed ergo competitions and rowing on the Nene, stage-managed by Kristina Cowley (L 13) and Katherine Morris, the School’s new Head of Rowing. The fives and badminton matches were very keenly matched, experience shading the former and youthful skills the latter, while water polo was the usual exhausting match to watch and rifle shooting went to the School.
On other fronts, Simon Hicks (F 07) has continued to build up the successful Eastbourne Cricket Tour, which is no mean feat in this day of time-poor youngsters. The task of an OO Sports Secretary has not got any easier, so his commitment is appreciated – as is the strong OO Golf Society fixture list that has again been assembled by Nick Copestick (Ldr 69) and James Aston (St A 92), along with the individual match managers. While the OOGS bowed out of the Halford Hewitt in the first round, there was greater success in the Mellin events and more than 50 OOs played in matches and golf days.
While most OO sports just participate in the Multisports Weekend, it would be good to have more sports putting teams out at other times of the year, either in one-off, alumni- orientated competitions or in leagues. This is particularly important for the OOFC and OORUFC sections, and it is hoped that new groups of similar vintage OOs will emerge from the likes of the Multisports Weekend to pick up the organisational cudgel.
Oundle Rovers President Tim Elliott (St A 77) (pictured left) and England & Wales Cricket Board Chief Executive Tom Harrison (G 89) with the Cricket World Cup, which Tom brought to The Cricketer Cup final in August
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