Former England international winger and NatWest Schools Cup Ambassador, Mark Cueto MBE recently selected thirty of the best players from this year’s U15 and U18 NatWest Schools Cup competition to experience a day in the life of an elite player.
Amongst those selected was Oundle School’s Edward Crowe (14), who enjoyed an elite training day with three current England players, Chris Robshaw, Dave Attwood, Matt Kvesic and former England winger Mark Cueto MBE at England Rugby’s Pennyhill Park training base in Surrey.
“The level of quality in the applications for the NatWest Schools Cup Academy Day was extremely high, making my job very difficult,” said Cueto. “Of the thirty selected, they all demonstrate true excellence in the way they have performed this season, making them a great addition to their schools’ team.”
Throughout the day, the young players took part in photo and filming shoots alongside the England players to truly experience the demands on elite rugby players, both on and off the pitch. After the training session, Academy Day players gained an insight into the analytics behind the game by studying video footage of the session with the England players and a leading sport scientist.
Speaking at the NatWest Academy Day, Mark Cueto commented: “The level of quality at the NatWest Schools Cup Academy Day was extremely high. English rugby is in a good place following the Grand Slam win and the calibre of players on show suggests we have a promising future to look forward to as well.
“Edward performed consistently throughout this NatWest Schools Cup and his contribution to Oundle School’s season has been rightfully rewarded.”
Crowe was a key player in the Oundle School side this year, displaying some exceptional performances before his side were knocked out of the Under 15 NatWest Schools Cup by Spalding Grammar School 41-24.
The 2016 NatWest Schools Cup saw a total of 883 teams play in the knockout competition, all competing for the chance to play at Twickenham Stadium on Finals Day, making it the biggest schools competition in England to date.
