As part of the School’s rugby tour to Canada and Seattle this July, a number of gatherings were organised by the Canadian OB community to coincide with the School’s fixtures. This is the first time that the School has been to Canada in any official capacity for over thirty years so the trip was something of a milestone!

The boys and staff who were on the rugby tour were delighted to meet so many OBs at their fixtures and particularly enjoyed chatting to the men, hearing their memories of Bedford School. We are sure that this engagement has not only given the boys a better understanding of the importance of the friendships that they make during their time at school but also the global nature of the Old Bedfordians Club which cuts across many generations.

Many OBs have also mentioned that they would be delighted to help any boy who would like to return to Canada on a GAP year, to study at university, or to work in the future. Having got a feel for the country on the tour we hope that the boys will give this genuine offer some serious consideration and that we may see one or two of these young men return to Canada in the future!

The gatherings were also a great opportunity for Canadian OBs to engage with the OB network across the country, and catch up with fellow OBs living in their area. Director of the OB Club, Richard Garrett, was pleased to be able to meet a number of OBs and their partners in person over the course of the trip, and was glad to hear that many are still very keen to stay in touch and to hear about what is going on back at the School.

A big thank you to all OBs who made the effort to watch the matches and especially to those who organised, along with their partners, social events around the fixtures. We hope to build upon this in the future and that OBs in Canada, despite the huge distances, will make the effort to get together and enjoy each other’s company.

The results of the tour’s fixtures were as follows:

Victoria University, Vancouver Island

  • Both U18 teams made the Bowl Semi Final
  • University of British Columbia, Vancouver

  • BC reps U18 0-31 Bedford School U18A
  • BC Reps U16 v Bedford School U16 (lost)
  • Seattle

  • Washington Wolverines 14 – 50 Bedford School U18B
  • Eastside Lions Selects v Bedford School U16 (won)
  • Calgary Canadian Irish Athletic Club, Calgary

  • Alberta Rep U18 0-58 Bedford School U18A
  • Calgary Irish Selects U18 v Bedford School U18B (won)
  • Alberta Rep U16 v Bedford School U16 (won)
  • Ellerslie Park, Edmonton

  • Druids RFC U18 14-48 Bedford School A/B
  • Edmonton Gold U18 19-54 Bedford School U18 A/B
  • Druids RFC U16 v Bedford School U16 (won)
  • Magnificent Sevens, Toronto

  • U18A won the tournament, beating Toronto Misfits 32-7
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