RAF Rugby Shirt Presented

On Tuesday 12 January, Wing Commander Gordon Ferguson visited assembly to present the Lower School with a framed RAF rugby shirt. To coincide with the Rugby World Cup, the International Defence Rugby Competition pitted twelve military teams, made up of soldiers, airmen and marines, against each other. A group of Lower School boys were invited to be ball boys for the event. Wing Commander Ferguson then visited the Shiplake pupils, presenting them with the commemorative shirt as a thank you for their involvement.

Head of Lower School Mr Paul Jones commented that ‘the commemorative shirt is a wonderful reminder of a very special experience for these boys and it is already proudly displayed in the Lower School.’

Wing Commander Ferguson spoke to the pupils about teamwork, and relationships (Shiplake's Theme of the Week) within the RAF. He shared the RAF's core values: Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence (RISE), attributes that are shared by the Shiplake cohort. Speaking about teamwork and how incredibly important it is, the boys were told how it takes a total of 300 people to get an RAF Tornado off the ground. This team includes engineers, ground staff, armourers, and drivers who all work together collaboratively to get one aircraft in the air.

Wing Commander Ferguson also talked about British service personnel who play high level sport. All three services support their sportsmen and women. Their colleagues are willing to cover for their absences because they see their contemporaries as achieving something special, with their role as supporting the athletes. One example of this is Lance Corporal Semesa Rokoduguni, a Fijian-born English rugby union player. He is currently playing for English club Bath, whilst serving as a soldier in the British Army. Semesa has combined active duty in Afghanistan alongside his impressive rugby career.

The Shiplake pupils found the assembly incredibly inspiring, and were touched by the kind donation from the RAF. Given pride of place in the Lower School building, the commemorative shirt will serve as a reminder of the fantastic part they played in the International Defence Rugby Competition.