Malvern College hosted weddings and rugby festival

While students enjoyed their summer break, staff at Malvern College was kept busy by its busiest ‘off-season’ for 14 years.

Among the highlights of the summer was the RFU’s rugby academy festival, which saw about 1,200 under 17 and under 18 men’s and women’s players from England’s Regional Academies and England Rugby’s Centres of Excellence participating.

Thousands of young rugby players came to Malvern College this summer (Image: Malvern College)

The festival is the biggest gathering of England’s rugby pathway players.

Following the success of last year’s festival, when female players from England Rugby's Centres of Excellence were involved for the first time, women and girls returned in even greater numbers in 2023, with all 12 centres involved with squads of 25-30 players.

Head of performance pathways and programmes, Don Barrell, said: “The festival celebrates the invaluable learning opportunities for young players who are coming through their regional academies and the England Rugby Pathways Programme.”

READ MORE: Malvern College students celebrate A-level results

Malvern College also hosted Gloucester’s rugby training camp, 760 players at its annual cricket festival, and 135 students at its home-grown Summer School.

Throughout the summer months, two matches of the Nicholson Cricketer Cup were played at the school. The Old Malvernians’ Cricket Club progressed through the rounds, going on to win the title against Old Tonbridgians.

Over the course of the summer holidays, the catering team dished up 24,500 meals and served more than 6,000 coffees at its 1865 coffee shop.

Two weddings took place at the school (Image: Malvern College)

Among the more unusual events, the college hosted five search and rescue dogs, who used the school’s buildings to train their noses.

And it was also the summer of love at Malvern, as two former pupils were married in the college chapel with a host of Old Malvernians in attendance.

Harriet Shuker married fiance Charles Morefield and Poppy Donaldson married George Gallop.

Malvern College headmaster Keith Metcalfe said: “During the school year, Malvern is a vibrant and buzzing place to be, but it is equally as busy over the summer months. 

“We are very much part of the community here at Malvern and are lucky enough to have a magnificent campus which can be used for many, many events.

“Of course, none of this would be possible without the staff that stayed on to work over the summer months, and I would like to say a huge thank you to each and every one of them for their amazing efforts.”