Wednesday the 21st January saw our squads kick off their last few matches before Varsity. The Tigers and LX Club both played away, and unfortunately both fell short of the win. The Women’s Blues suffered a last-minute cancellation owing to flooded pitches in Worcester, so it was up to the Men’s Blues to deliver here at Grange Road.
In front of a large home crowd and our match sponsors, Howes Percival, the Men’s Blues fought through the January conditions and came away with a convincing win.
Men’s Secretary Nate Bottomley gave the following match report:
Wednesday’s return to action at Grange Road saw the Blues deliver a commanding performance against the Royal Air Force, securing a convincing 66-6 victory in the first fixture following the Christmas break.
The match provided an ideal opportunity to shake off any rustiness, and the team found their rhythm early. Despite a change to the lineup – with Ollie East moving to 13 after Charlie Cross picked up a hamstring tweak in training – the backline remained clinical. Tim Andrew showed his class with two tries, while Lewis Cooper made a massive impact off the bench to secure a brace of his own.
The forward pack was the foundation of the win, putting in a dominant display at scrum time throughout the afternoon. Elvis Addai was standout, earning Man of the Match. Defensively, the Blues were relentless, with George Williams putting in several big hits to stifle any RAF momentum. It was also great to see Tom Evans return to the fold for his first appearance of the season, joining Fin Edwards and George Williams in a dynamic back row.
This result provides a fantastic platform as the focus and training continues to intensify toward the Varsity Match at StoneX Stadium on the 28th of February.
Thank you to the RAF for making the journey down and to all the supporters who joined us for our first run-out of the year.
GDBO,
Nathan Bottomley
Men’s Secretary
We’re thrilled to be back playing rugby in 2026, and look forward to welcoming as many people back to Grange Road in the coming weeks. Thanks again to Howes Percival for their sponsorship of the match, and to the RAF for making the trip.
