School sports
A TAG rugby team celebrated a nine-game unbeaten run to claim a schools title.
The year five and six team from Copeland Road Primary School, West Auckland, was entered into the Bishop Auckland league, organised by Education Enterprise.
Copeland Road PE co-ordinator Lyndsey Jones said: “This is the first time tag rugby has been played as part of Education Enterprise’s competition leagues.
“Over five weeks, ten teams played each other and Copeland Road won every one of their nine games to become champions.
“The team showed great teamwork and sportsmanship and improved week by week as their confidence and talent grew. Their gold medal was truly deserved and we are very proud of their fantastic achievement.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of young athletes from around the country made new friends and a host of fond memories after descending on the dale for a festival of sport.
Under 10 and 12 boys and girls from around the region were joined by sides from Scotland and the South of England in a two-day spectacle of rugby and hockey hosted by Barnard Castle School.
In all, about 350 young players from Yarm, Durham, Northumberland, Terrington, Darlington, Newcastle, Wakefield, York, Sedbergh, Hull, Perth and Buckinghamshire, battled it out.
Headmaster Tony Jackson said: “Events like these are the reason we play sport. We win together, we lose together, we collaborate, we communicate. We continue to play when the going gets tough and we are gracious with our opponents when we win and lose. Through it all we make friendships and memories that will last forever.”
