St Benedict's 1st XV rugby team celebrated a huge success by scoring third place in a national school competition this season.

It is also the first time the Ealing team has finished in the top ten of the 2021 Daily Mail Schools Trophy – a national competition played under a merit table system by more than 100 teams across England.

The team remained unbeaten this term, and their bonus point 37-5 win against Magdalen College School on Saturday, 11 December was a brilliant way to end the season.

The St Benedict's team results have steadily improved in recent seasons under the guidance of the Director of Sport, Zoran Higgins, and Director of Rugby, James Coles.

Mr Higgins said: "The coaching team and I are delighted that the boys have played so well this year – some of the rugby played has been stunning!

"The 1st XV are a testament to what can be achieved through hard work, endeavour and commitment."

Mr Coles said: "The squad has been led superbly by Captain Cathal Sheehan and has worked unbelievably hard.

"The extra mile that the Seniors have gone this year, not only in their own development but in supporting the progression of younger year groups, has been exemplary."

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Cathal Sheehan, Captain of the 1st XV, added: "The strong set of results achieved this year by the 1st XV are a testament to the hard work that the team and coaches have put in, on and off the field.

"As a team we wanted to leave a legacy of hard work, effort and commitment and our 3rd place finish in the Daily Mail Trophy is evidence of this."

This year, 119 schools took part in the competition, where each school must play against at least five schools within the same group.

Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire came in top of the merit table, then Sedbergh School in Cumbria, closely followed by St Benedict's.

St Benedict's is an independent, Catholic, co-educational day school in Ealing for children aged 3 to 18.