Thank You
What an amazing weekend celebrating our Centenary of Rugby! We really couldn’t have done it without you, from the teams playing in the tournament, to the supporters on Smithfield, and of course the guests at the Gala Dinner – thank you.
It was wonderful to see so many generations of the Stonyhurst Family celebrating Stonyhurst’s passion for rugby on the field and off.
Our professional photographer, Vanessa Fry, captured spectacular moments from the weekend – they are definitely worth a look!
Decades Tournament Gala Dinner
Access code: Smithfield2022 Access code: Galadinner2022
The support we have received during this anniversary year has shown true Stonyhurst spirit where everyone has done as much as they can.
With our sincere thanks to each and every one of you.
A Rugby Pavilion for Smithfield
During the academic year 2021-2022, Stonyhurst celebrated its Centenary of Rugby, having switched in 1921 from football to rugby as the primary field sport. The celebrations focussed on the ‘Passing It On’ Appeal to build a long overdue pavilion on Smithfield. The ‘Captains’ Campaign’ within this Appeal, encouraged previous 1st XV Captains to lead their team members on to the fundraising field and support this cause.
The Pavilion was blessed on Friday 3rd June by our Chaplain Fr Tim Curtis SJ together with Fr Donal Godfrey SJ OS77 and Fr Michael Bossy SJ and was officially opened by rugby legends, and former Stonyhurst coaches, Richard Greenwood OBE and Brian Ashton MBE. This was followed by the Decades Tournament, an OS rugby tournament spanning the generations, in which the OS20 team took the title.
Present over the weekend celebrations were Brian Ashton, Dick Greenwood and David Clews, together with OS who played internationally including Barry O’Driscoll, John O’Driscoll, Joe Ansbro, and Kevin Barrett and many members of the Gibraltar 7’s Team.
As Fr Donal SJ reminded us, Pope Francis once said to visiting rugby teams in the Vatican; ‘rugby is about belonging – it marks the personal and collective memory, having the capacity to unite people, transcending language, race, religion, an ideology. The need for others, Pope Francis said, includes not only teammates, but managers, coaches, supporters, the family, groundskeepers, all whose dedication make it possible to give the best of oneself.’
We look forward to the next 100 years of rugby here at Stonyhurst, rooted in the Gospel and in our Catholic, Jesuit identity.
The Captains’ Campaign
The Captains’ Campaign, which formed part of the ‘Passing It On’ Campaign was a resounding success as past 1st XV teams battled it out to take the top of the leader board. The appeal was closed in August 2021 exceeding the target of £30,000. The leader board was finalised, with 1983 taking the lead, and it can be viewed below.
| OS Year Group | Total Raised |
| 1983 | £4660 |
| 1985 | £4538 |
| 1959 | £3200 |
| 1971 | £2890 |
| 1998 | £2000 |
| 1995 | £1600 |
| 1987 | £1200 |
| 1994 | £1125 |
| 1990 | £1050 |
| 1970 | £1000 |
| 1967 | £770 |
| 1979 | £750 |
| 1972 | £650 |
| 1969 | £565 |
| 1999 | £500 |
| 1992 | £500 |
| 1977 | £500 |
| 1975 | £500 |
| 1986 | £320 |
| 2003 | £300 |
| 1961 | £300 |
| 2002 | £300 |
| 1960 | £300 |
| 2005 | £300 |
| 2004 | £300 |
| 2016 | £300 |
| 1953 | £300 |
| 1942 | £250 |
| 2011 | £250 |
| 2013 | £250 |
| 2000 | £250 |
| 1966 | £250 |
| 1976 | £230 |
| 1993 | £200 |
| 1968 | £200 |
| 1982 | £130 |
| 2015 | £100 |
| 1974 | £100 |
| 2006 | £100 |
| 1996 | £100 |
| 1978 | £100 |
| 1950 | £100 |
| 1944 | £100 |
| 1958 | £100 |
| 1973 | £100 |
| 1957 | £50 |
| 1964 | £50 |
| 2008 | £50 |
| 1962 | £50 |
| 1954 | £30 |
