Back to School, Back Together: Why a Touch Tournament Is Never Just a Touch Tournament
Back to school. Back together. And what better way to start the new term? Take a look inside an evening of mixed teams, touch rugby, community BBQ, big competition and even bigger connections.
On Tuesday evening at Croydon RFC, 36 young people came together for one of our favourite fixtures of the year: the Back to School Mixed Touch Tournament and BBQ, hosted with brilliant support from Croydon Rugby.
The clue is in the name: mixed.
The teams were made up of young people from across our different school programmes, bringing together players who might not otherwise have found themselves on the same pitch, let alone in the same team. By the end of the evening, they were competing hard, celebrating tries, debating calls and cheering each other on. And then they were sitting around the same BBQ, talking, laughing and replaying the evening. That is what these nights are really about.
Different schools. One team.
There is something powerful about putting young people who don't normally cross paths into the same team and giving them something to work towards together.
For a couple of hours, school doesn't matter.
Where you live doesn't matter.
You are simply part of the team.
You pass to the person next to you. You encourage someone after a mistake. You celebrate a try together. You defend together. You laugh when something goes wrong. Those small interactions are easy to overlook, but they're exactly where connection starts.
Our programmes are built around creating those opportunities — bringing young people from different schools and communities together through rugby and giving them a positive reason to spend time with one another. The rugby gets them on the pitch. The relationships and connections to their shared community build from there.
Then came the BBQ
If the tournament was about bringing everyone together, the BBQ was where the evening really relaxed. The intensity of the matches disappeared. Players from different teams were sitting together, grabbing food, talking about the games and getting to know each other away from the pitch. There was no fixture to win anymore, no score to chase, simply a group of young people who had shared an evening together.
Not every connection has to be a big, dramatic moment. Sometimes it's simply sitting next to someone you didn't know a few hours earlier and having a conversation.
And there was still a tournament to win...
Of course, none of this meant anyone was taking the rugby lightly.
The Matt Ratana Mustangs came out on top, beating Matt's Mako Sharks 20–10 in the final.
The Ratana Rhinos claimed third place with a brilliant turnaround against the Raptors, beating them 25–10 after losing to them earlier in the tournament. The Raptors had lost just once all evening, making the result even more impressive. At the end of the tournament, our coaches also recognised their Players of the Evening, celebrating the effort, attitude and teamwork that stood out throughout the night.
Because that's what we're looking for.
Not just who scores the most tries, but who encourages their teammates, keeps going when things get difficult, plays with respect and helps make the team better.
The Importance of Meeting Inter-School Peers Should Not Be Underestimated
The timing felt right.
As young people head back into another school term, our school provision is back underway too, with a full half-term of training ahead before our cohorts step up into showcase games. Tuesday was just one evening, but it captured so much of what we want our programmes to create.
Young people from different schools, mixed into teams: competition, but also cooperation. This was a chance for our young people to challenge themselves, but also a chance to encourage someone else. And, at the end of it, food around a table and 36 young people sharing stories about the evening. That's why a touch tournament is never just a touch tournament.
It's a chance to bring people together who might otherwise never meet - and give them a reason to keep coming back.
The rugby is where it starts.
The connection is what we're building.
A sincere thank you to Croydon Rugby
A special thank you to everyone at Croydon Rugby Football Club for continuing to welcome us and allowing us to use your facilities.
Having a place where our young people can come together, train, compete and spend time with each other makes a huge difference to what we're able to deliver. We're incredibly grateful for the support, the space and the warm welcome you give our programmes. Your generosity helps us create opportunities that simply wouldn't be possible without the backing of clubs and communities who are willing to open their doors.