LEAMINGTON COLTS 43 – 12 BICESTER COLTS
Sunday 1st November 2026 | Home Friendly

The day after Halloween. A squad of teenage rugby players. A Sunday afternoon fixture against Bicester. 22 lads ready to pull on their Leamington shirts.

What could possibly go wrong? Well, as it turns out, not a great deal! Because while the rest of the country was recovering from Halloween celebrations, Leamington Colts were busy delivering a convincing 43-12 victory over Bicester! Seven tries, some fantastic teamwork, a few individual moments of brilliance and one particularly memorable kick that earned its owner an award he’d probably rather forget!

But more importantly, this was a brilliant opportunity for the wider Colts squad to get valuable game time, try different positions and show just how much depth there is within this group of players and they certainly made the most of it!

A FLYING START FOR LEAMINGTON!

From the opening whistle, Leamington were determined to get on the front foot. The forwards were putting in the hard yards, the backs were finding opportunities and the lads were working together to keep the pressure on Bicester.

It wasn’t long before Owen George decided to get things moving. Bursting through a couple of tackles close to the line, Owen stretched out a rather useful long arm to ground the ball and open the scoring!
5-0 LEAMINGTON
A cracking start!

Next came a brilliant bit of determination from captain Billy Calder, who stayed on his feet through the tackles and powered forward for another 15 yards. The ball eventually found its way to Archie Dunne, who gathered it brilliantly and finished the move with Leamington’s second try.
10-0!
A fantastic team effort, with Billy working hard and Archie providing the finishing touch.

Bicester weren’t about to roll over, though. The visitors hit back with a try of their own, bringing the score to 10-5 and reminding Leamington that they had come to play rugby too!

But the response from the home side was almost immediate. Luke Taylor crossed the line for Leamington’s third try, before Jacob Haddow added the conversion.

HALF-TIME: LEAMINGTON 17 – 5 BICESTER
Three tries on the board and plenty more rugby still to come!

THE FORWARDS WERE JUST GETTING STARTED!

If the first half had been entertaining, the second certainly wasn’t going to disappoint and it was Harry Blunt who got things moving again. With Leamington attacking close to the line, Jonathan Crossland had the first attempt to power his way over. But when the ball was recycled, Harry decided a little more brute force was required, and over he went!
22-5
Jacob Haddow added the conversion to make it 24-5.

Then came another fantastic team try, this time finished by Bailey Paxton-Rhodes. Bailey produced a lovely sidestep to find his way through the defence, but the move owed plenty to the groundwork from Ethan Lennon, whose contribution helped create the opportunity.
29-5
Ethan then stepped up to add the conversion.
31-5!

And the tries just kept coming!

QUICK THINKING, QUICK FEET AND ANOTHER TRY!

With Leamington continuing to apply pressure, Lewis Warden spotted an opportunity. A quickly taken penalty caught Bicester’s defence reorganising, and Lewis wasted absolutely no time. Straight through the gap.

TRY LEAMINGTON!
Ethan Lennon added another conversion, taking the score to 38-5.
It was a brilliant example of the lads thinking on their feet, recognising an opportunity and taking full advantage.

But Bicester weren’t finished either. The visitors continued to battle and were rewarded with another converted try, bringing their total to 12 points. With the match heading towards its conclusion, Leamington had one final statement to make.

BLUNT BY NAME, BLUNT BY NATURE!

Throughout the season, Harry Blunt has been putting in some seriously impressive work.

Aggressive carries. Powerful runs. Crashing into tackles with purpose. On Sunday, all that hard work paid off. Because Harry wasn’t content with just one try.

HE WANTED TWO!
Another determined finish saw him cross the line for his second of the afternoon, rounding off an excellent individual performance and a fantastic team display.

FULL-TIME: LEAMINGTON COLTS 43 – 12 BICESTER COLTS
A convincing victory, seven tries and plenty of positives for the coaching team to take away.

CAPTAIN BILLY, VICE CAPTAIN LEO AND A FEW VERY UNFORTUNATE OPPOSITION PLAYERS!

A mention has to go to Sunday’s leadership duo, Captain Billy Calder and Vice Captain Leo Graham, who both put in fantastic performances.
Now, we’re not entirely sure whether it was the responsibility of wearing the captain’s armband or the excitement of playing outside centre, but Billy appeared to have made it his personal mission to run directly into as many Bicester players as physically possible! Tackles? He was going through them and that determination paid off, particularly with a brilliant carry that saw him stay on his feet through the tackles, powering forward another 15 yards to help set up Archie’s try. Clearly, someone was enjoying himself!

Meanwhile, Vice Captain Leo was having a cracking game of his own. And then came the moment nobody quite expected…
LEO GRAHAM. ON THE WING.
Yes, you read that correctly! From Prop to winger. Judging by the cheers from the sidelines, this was apparently just what everyone had been waiting for! There was even a late opportunity for Leo to add his name to the scoresheet, but sadly, the rugby gods had other ideas. Still, a brilliant performance, leading by example, getting stuck in and showing that leadership isn’t just about wearing an armband. Although in Billy’s case, it might also involve using your shoulders to introduce yourself to the opposition!

THE LADS WHO STEPPED UP AND STOOD OUT!

One of the most important things about Sunday’s fixture wasn’t the scoreline. It was the opportunity, with 22 players taking to the field and several playing in different positions, this was a chance for the wider squad to demonstrate their ability, adaptability and commitment.

And two players in particular deserve a special mention.

MARCUS AND ISAAC!

Both lads have had limited opportunities to feature in matchday squads this season, partly because of competition for places and commitments elsewhere. But when their opportunity came on Sunday, they didn’t just turn up. They absolutely owned it! Both started the game, fitted straight into the team and made a massive contribution to the tempo and intensity of the match. Their attitude, effort and willingness to get stuck in helped set the standard for everyone around them and their performances certainly didn’t go unnoticed!

PLAYER AWARDS
MAN OF THE MATCH: ISAAC - A fantastic performance from a player who took his opportunity with both hands. Isaac’s contribution, work rate and attitude were exactly what the coaches wanted to see.

PLAYERS’ PLAYER: MARCUS - Voted for by his teammates! A brilliant recognition of Marcus’s performance and the impact he made throughout the game.

And then there’s the final award…

DOTD: BAILEY PAXTON-RHODES - Now, Bailey scored a cracking try. He showed some lovely footwork. He contributed to a fantastic team performance. Unfortunately, he also produced what has been described as a rather interesting kick in play and apparently, it was interesting enough to earn him the DOD award! We’re not entirely sure what Bailey was attempting, but clearly the lads felt it deserved recognition. Proof that in rugby, you can score a brilliant try and still end up being reminded of one questionable decision for the foreseeable future!

COACH CALLUM’S VERDICT

For Coach Callum, Sunday’s result was about much more than the final score. The friendly provided an excellent opportunity for the squad to get valuable minutes on the pitch, with players stepping into different roles and embracing the challenge. Bicester provided competitive opposition, testing Leamington’s resilience and forcing the boys to work hard throughout the game.

But it was the attitude and adaptability of the Colts that stood out. The willingness to try different positions, support teammates and keep pushing forward demonstrated the depth and versatility developing within the squad and the performances of Marcus and Isaac were particularly pleasing. Two lads who haven’t had as many matchday opportunities this season stepped up, started the game and helped set the tempo for everyone else.

That’s what being part of a squad is all about. Taking your opportunities. Supporting your teammates. Being ready when your name is called.

MORE THAN JUST A SCORELINE
Sunday’s victory was another great example of what this Colts squad is building.
Of course, seven tries and a convincing win are lovely. But the real positives go much deeper. Players getting opportunities. Lads trying different positions. The forwards creating a strong platform. The backs taking their chances. Everyone contributing to a fantastic team performance.

There were some brilliant individual moments, from Owen’s opening try and Billy’s determined carry to Archie’s finish, Bailey’s sidestep, Lewis’s quick thinking and Harry Blunt’s well-earned double. Not forgetting Leo’s brief but apparently highly entertaining career as a winger!

But ultimately, this was a team victory. A reminder that there is plenty of talent throughout the entire Colts squad.

A huge thank you to Bicester for travelling over and providing a competitive, enjoyable friendly.
Thanks also to the coaches, volunteers, parents and supporters who continue to make these fixtures possible.

And congratulations to Isaac and Marcus on their awards.

As for Bailey…
Well, there’s always next week to work on that kicking technique!

FINAL SCORE: LEAMINGTON COLTS 43 – 12 BICESTER COLTS

COME ON LEAMINGTON COLTS!

⸻

? MATCH SUMMARY

LEAMINGTON COLTS 43 – 12 BICESTER COLTS

? Sunday 1st November 2026
? Leamington RFC
? Home Friendly

HALF-TIME: 17-5
FULL-TIME: 43-12

TRY SCORERS

? Owen George
? Archie Dunne
? Luke Taylor
? Harry Blunt × 2
? Bailey Paxton-Rhodes
? Lewis Warden

CONVERSIONS RECORDED

? Jacob Haddow × 2
? Ethan Lennon × 2

PLAYER AWARDS

? Man of the Match: Isaac
? Players’ Player: Marcus
? DOTD: Bailey Paxton-Rhodes

FINAL VERDICT: Seven tries, plenty of opportunities, a fantastic team performance, two very proud captains and one kick Bailey probably wishes everyone would forget!