School Profile - Oakham

Oakham School was founded in 1584 by Robert Johnson, Archdeacon of Leicester and has become a major co-educational boarding and day school where sport is strong for both boys and girls.

The School has developed excellent links with professional clubs, notably Leicester Tigers and Leicestershire County Cricket Club Numerous pupils earn selection for Leicestershire and the Midlands, and the school currently has five internationals across four different sports. Recent former pupils who have represented their country at full international level include cricketer Lucy Pearson and Lewis Moody of Leicester Tigers.

After two losing quarter-finals in succession, three penalties from leading scorer Tom Gregory secured victory over Hymers and a first semi-final. This team has made history by achieving back-to-back unbeaten seasons apart from last year's quarter-final defeat at Durham. Eight ofthis year's side were also in the 2000-2001 side that became the third Oakham 1st XV, after 1953 and 1980, to win every game in their traditional season.

The side have played some superb attacking rugby, supported by a defence that has conceded only nine tries to date. Gregory won his first cap for England Schools against New Zealand, a game skipper and No 8 Gray Cullen would have appeared in but for a badly timed shoulder injury.

Leading try scorer Wheeler is the son of Leicester Tigers Chief Executive and former England and British Lions hooker Peter, and centre Mark Matthews is the son of current Tigers President David Matthews, himself an Old Oakhamian.Ian Smith, one of the coaches, has returned to teach maths and PE after being a Leicester Tigers' player, captain and coach until last summer. He remains involved with the club, particularly as an academy coach. The coaching team is led by Charles Welch, another old boy who has overseen agolden era in Oakham rugby in his five years as 1st XV coach.

Just to keep it in the family, his wife Jo, a former England netball international is Head of Girls PE and Games at Oakham. To complete the triumvirate, another old boy, Roger Nicholson, has moved from RGS Guildford, where he coachedthe team which won the Daily Mail Plate in 1998.

In addition to the rugby success, both girls hockey and netball teams have reached national finals this month - the hockey XI play at Milton Keynes tomorrow while the netball VII are at the Manchester Velodrome on March 16, making it a tremendous month for Oakham sport.

ROUTE TO THE SEMI-FINAL

3rd rnd King's, Grantham (a) won 63-9
4th rndLoughborough GS (a) 42-3
5th rnd Prince William's, Oundle (h) won 24-10
6th rnd King's, Worcester (h) won 17-15
qtr-final Hymers GS (h) won 9-8.