A
rguably the best Sevens season
ever at King's was a tremendous
way to round off Peter McKegney's
last term in charge of rugby, and the end
of his amazing 40-year relationship with
the game at King's.
The Under 18s finished runners-up in the
Bryanston Sevens, the West of England
Sevens Champions, and semi-finalists at
the Rosslyn Park Sevens, losing to
Wellington College the eventual winners.
The Under 16s also finished runners-up
in the West of England Sevens, and this
bodes extremely well for the future of
Sevens at King's.
King's 1st VII lost only three games all
season, and during the Rosslyn Park
tournament amassed an incredible 236
points, conceding only 29! Ranked 11th
nationally this season on results, they
produced some fantastic rugby, beating
no lesser schools than Wellington College,
Colston's and Millfield at some stage of
the season or another.
The side was superbly led by Rhys
Davies, whose kicking and defensive
displays were outstanding. Laurence May
proved an unstoppable force in both
attack and defence, scoring a number of
tries with a devastating side-step. Will
Potter was the quickest player by far on
the circuit, and scored two stunning tries
in the West of England Final. Michael
Peek, fresh from his success with the
Under 18 National Independent Schools
team 'The Lambs', was in imperious form
at the breakdown, ably supported by
Charlie Snow and Blaine Tottle. who
made a number of bone-shuddering
interventions in matches.
Jack Holmes continued his sparkling form,
scoring tries from nothing with quick feet
and enormous strength. Archie Watts and
Dougie Denton made an impact in every
tournament, crossing the line and showing
guile and craft to finish a number of wellworked
moves. Ben Shapland, Hamish
Manger and Henry Willis also showed the
enormous strength in depth of this squad,
often coming off the bench to tie up and
finish off teams at the death.
Special mention must be made of the
contributions of Conor Bannister and Alex
Dunham, West of England medal winners
but not part of the Rosslyn Park squad -
their support and enthusiasm was
outstanding.
The best King's Sevens
season ever …
we think so!
This was a very special squad of talented
and committed players. They worked
tirelessly for each other, but were utterly
relentless in the way they played. Above
all, they have thoroughly enjoyed their
rugby and each other's company. They
are an extremely strong unit and deserve
a huge amount of credit for the pride with
which they have represented the school.
It is a fitting send-off for Mr McKegney,
and it meant a huge amount to the
players to have his support and
encouragement throughout. They would
also want to show their appreciation for
Mr Bird whose time and dedication with
their strength and conditioning has made
an incredible difference to their
performances.
The victorious 1st VII,
West of England
Champions!
Michael Peek in action
at Rosslyn Park
Sevens
by Nick Gresswell
Aluredian 69