On Saturday, 7 September, we were delighted to host our inaugural OE Touch Rugby Tournament in support of Wooden Spoon, a charity known as “the children’s charity of rugby.” The origins of the charity offer a light-hearted reminder of how a disappointing moment can spark something positive – their story begins with England’s poor performance in the 1983 Five Nations Rugby Championship.
After watching England finish at the bottom of the table with a 25-15 loss to Ireland at Lansdowne Road, five England fans found themselves in a Dublin bar. There, they were presented with a wooden spoon, wrapped in an Irish scarf, as a playful nod to their team’s last-place finish. Taking it in their stride, including Wooden Spoon’s future president Peter Scott, the group decided to hold a golf match to determine who would keep the quirky gift. A few months later, that round at Farnham Golf Club in Surrey raised over £8,500, which was used to buy a new minibus for a local special needs school. From these humble beginnings, Wooden Spoon was born, and ever since, the charity has been dedicated to supporting children with disabilities or those facing disadvantage.
We were thrilled to have a team from Wooden Spoon join us, playing exceptionally well alongside our alumni community. The weather remained fair until the final match, making for an enjoyable and memorable day for both participants and spectators.
The event was brilliantly organized by Tom Ross, our Head of Rugby, and we hope to see the day grow in size and success in the coming years. Also representing Exeter School alongside Tom were Director of Sport, Dave Gibson and former Head of History (and very recently retired), Giles Trelawny (1993-2024), who both got stuck in on the pitch, playing and refereeing.
Thank you to Wooden Spoon for joining us on the day and to all of those who were there!
