By Sarah Mountjoy
The Thanet Wanderers Under-11s, known as the Spitfires, travelled to London Irish Amateur International Mini
Rugby Festival today (April 27) – and left with their heads held high after a series of impressive performances.
Coach Dan captured the spirit of the day, saying: “Thanet Wanderers U11s shone at London Irish International Festival!”
The Spitfires made an immediate impact, opening with a confident 3–1 win thanks to tries from Thomas, Noah and Ethan. Despite a hard-fought second match, they suffered a 4–0 defeat to a strong Brentwood side.
Undeterred, Thanet produced a spirited 2–2 draw against Reeds, with Thomas and Hector crossing the try line. They followed this with a thrilling 3–2 victory over Battersea, with Jude, Oscar and Jenson all scoring tries.
Game 5 proved controversial, as the Spitfires were narrowly beaten 1–0 by London Irish after the only try of the game came from a clear knock-on that was missed by the officials. However, the boys showed great character to regroup for a hard-fought 0–0 draw against Old Grammarians in Game 6.
In Game 7, the Spitfires produced one of their best performances of the day, securing a 1–0 victory over London Irish. Jack scored the only try of the match with a brilliant finish, and the team’s strong defensive effort kept the opposition at bay.
The team closed their campaign with a narrow 2–1 loss to St Peter’s, Dexter scoring a superb solo try to cap the day.
Many of the boys have been playing together since their earliest rugby days at Under-6s and even earlier at Rugby Tots. Their understanding, commitment and team spirit were evident throughout the festival.
Coach Steve reflected on the team’s wider success, saying: “The London Irish Festival gave the whole team a chance to showcase their hard work this year and they did not disappoint – a fantastic way to finish the season.”
Huge thanks were extended to coaches Steve, Dan, Ben and Rob for their outstanding guidance and to Amdell M&E Contractors for their generous sponsorship, which continues to support opportunities like this.
With this season nearly complete, excitement is already building for next year, when the Spitfires will compete in a league for the first time. After such a strong showing in London, they are ready to take on the next challenge together.
The future is bright for this talented group of young Wanderers.
