Smiths U15s Prepare to Kick Off New League Season

Smiths Rugby U15s are ready to launch their 2025–26 league campaign this Sunday with their first competitive fixture of the season. After being placed in the top division of three across the county, the young squad face a challenging schedule with tough games to come against Bredon, Brockworth, Coney Hill and Stroud.

First up are Old Cryptians, with a 10:30am kick-off this Sunday (28th) at the Prince of Wales Stadium.

With nearly 40 players signed on, Head Coach Duncan Simpson and his coaching team have faced some difficult selection calls.

“For league fixtures, we’ll aim to field the strongest available team on the day,” said Duncan.

“These games are competitive, and we want to do ourselves justice. We are also limited to the numbers allowed in the squad for these games. There are ten league games throughout the season, but they are not the driver for the season. The bigger picture matters more: retention, development, and progression. Luke, Sam, Jamie, Andy, JB, Tace and I would happily trade a league title for the joy of seeing Smiths adult teams in the future filled with lads we’ve coached since they were tiny.”

Strong Start in Friendlies

The squad has already shown their promise in two thrilling warm-up matches—losing at the death to Ross-on-Wye and then snatching a last-kick win against Royal Wootton Bassett. Both games have provided a taste of the excitement to come.

Praise from the Seniors

Smiths 1st XV Captain Ben Hawker has been keeping a close eye on the U15s’ progress:

“I have been so impressed with the start the juniors have made and I am really excited to see them keep pushing on. There has been a real buzz around the club and it’s been great to see so many seniors watching the juniors’ games (and vice versa). We’ve been massively impressed by the quality of the boys, with some standout performances from Dylan and ‘Iceman’ Ellis. With the quality and attitude of all the lads on show, I’m hoping to run out on the same pitch as them in a few years’ time!”

Club Captain John Bryant also highlighted the importance of the environment created by the coaching team:

“To see the lads working so hard and already proud to represent their new club has been great. Duncan and the other coaches have got a clear plan for the season and will make sure all the players are valued and part of the squad. It will be exciting to see how they perform across the season.”

With no senior rugby this weekend, all eyes will be on the U15s at the Prince of Wales Stadium. Come down on Sunday from 10:30am to cheer on the future stars of Smiths Rugby!

1st XV Draw Cheltenham North in Community Cup

In other club news, after a superb 31–7 win over Old Pats last weekend, the Smiths 1st XV have been drawn away at Cheltenham North in the second round of the Community Cup.The tie will take place on Saturday 25 October, and promises to be another exciting contest as Smiths look to continue their cup run.