In our Golden Jubilee year, everyone at school is very proud of two of our pupils and three former pupils who have gained England International honours this season. Joe Bretherton and Oliver Gildart were selected to represent English Schools on the Easter tour to France, while former pupils Joe Burgess (Wigan), Jonathan Ford (Salford) and Luke Thompson (St Helens) will be going to Australia in summer with the England RL Academy squad.

We were delighted to welcome all five of them into school this week to take photographs and offer our congratulations. They follow in the footsteps of several other St Edmund Arrowsmith pupils who represented England at Schoolboy level in recent years and went on to play the highest levels of professional Rugby league, including Karl Fitzpatrick, Shaun Briscoe, Jay Duffy, Darrell Goulding and Jamie Foster.

Headteacher Peter Phillips, a former rugby player himself, is absolutely delighted at the achievements of his pupils and former pupils. “There can only be very few schools with five pupils gaining international honours in the same season, and we hope that the dedication and achievements of these young men will be an inspiration to our current and future pupils.” He also said, "I can remember when I used to be one of the tall ones on the back row!"

Pictured left to right below:

Mr Sean Bradley, Mr John Griffin, Joe Burgess, Luke Thompson, Joe Bretherton, Oliver Gildart, Jonathan Ford, Mr Peter Phillips, Mr Dave Morgan.