On Sunday 12th October, BRUFC U15s travelled to Oakham for a friendly fixture, looking to test out a few set plays and sharpen their defensive line speed.

The day began under a thick blanket of fog that refused to lift — making both the journey and the rugby a real challenge! Once everyone finally arrived and warmed up, it was agreed that visibility was “good enough for a friendly” (even if you couldn’t see from one try line to the other!).

The opening ten minutes mirrored the intensity of the recent Newark clash, with both sides battling for possession in slippery, frustrating conditions. Handling errors mounted as the wet ball made life tricky for both scrum-halves. Oakham settled first, using clever overlaps to score two converted tries in quick succession. Bourne, however, found a spark through Will Calvert, whose blistering pace and determination broke the defensive line to earn BRUFC their first try — and he coolly slotted the conversion to close the gap.

Oakham struck back immediately, capitalising on strong wing play to head into half-time leading 21–7. At the break, Bourne switched tactics — shelving their set-play practice to focus on ball retention and adapting to the weather.

That adjustment paid off. The second half was much more even, ending 5–5 in terms of points scored. Bourne’s second try came from some quick, instinctive play — a sharp interception by Zak Forbes followed by Aiden Elliott’s burst of speed and quick grounding to add another score for the visitors.

The match finished 26–12 in Oakham’s favour, but both sides left the field smiling, already eyeing a rematch later in the season — ideally in clearer conditions and with full squads available! BRUFC took plenty of positives from the performance, especially their ability to adapt and improve after the break, and will use those lessons heading into next weekend’s trip to Long Eaton.

Coach’s Man of the Match went to Alexei France for his outstanding defensive effort, fearless tackling, and several lightning-fast runs that kept Oakham under pressure. Every player lifted their game in the second half, responding brilliantly to coaching adjustments and showing real character.

BRUFC wish Oakham the best of luck in their Leicester League campaign and look forward to welcoming them to The Drove in 2026.