Grade 9 Rugby: Brentwood 20, Ladysmith 17

Playing in a cold and steady downpour, the Grade 9 rugby team met Ladysmith High School on Thursday. The Ladysmith team, consisting of Grade 9 and 10 players, started the match by putting Brentwood under extreme pressure. To their great credit, the Brentwood defence withstood this early onslaught and gradually worked their way into scoring position. Two good tries followed and Brentwood seemed to grab the momentum in the match. Ladysmith, however, regained some of their early form and replied with two excellent tries of their own to lead the game at the half (12-10). The second half saw both sides exchange tries and, with just a few minutes remaining, the visitors led 17-15. Perseverance won the day, however, as Brentwood retained possession during the late stages of the match and scored a try to eke out a 20-17 win. Tries by Santiago, Cam, Gavin and Stuart secured another good result for the team.