Cobham finish runners-up in Saint Dévote Rugby 7s Tournament

In the 14th edition of this Tournament, 24 teams from around the world gathered to compete at the Saint Dévote Rugby 7s Tournament in Monaco. Cobham Rugby Club was once again invited and from a talented squad of 18 Under 11s and 12s player, 12 were selected to represent England: Jago (Captain), Noah, Isaac, Teddy, Edward, Charlie, Arlo, Oliver, Tristan, Cillian, Rafe and Hugo.On 19th March, the excited Cobham Under 12s team arrived at Heathrow Terminal 5 with parents and supporters. After a short flight to Nice, the team and coaches (Tristan, Richard and Kartik) separated from the supporters to spend their first day sightseeing and settling in before heading to their accommodation for the night.

→ Friday 20th March – Tournament Day 1

At the opening ceremony at Stade Louis II, Captain Jago Craddock proudly led his team out to represent England. Cobham were placed in Group B alongside Belgium, Andorra and Zimbabwe.

Cobham started shakily against Belgium as nerves settled but soon found their rhythm. Arlo scored the opening two tries, as the opposition couldn’t catch him. Strong tackling and breakdown work from Noah, Hugo and Tristan kept Belgium at bay, although they eventually managed to score. Jago responded with two excellent tries, including one from a perfectly placed kick-off by Oliver. Despite a late Belgium try, Cobham secured a comfortable 4–2 win.

Against Andorra, Cobham were in full flow. Slick passing and teamwork led to a try from Edward, followed by another from Arlo. Hugo’s intelligent running lines and offload set up Isaac for the third, before excellent tackling from Teddy put Andorra under pressure. A precise pass from Charlie allowed Arlo to cross the line again. Jago added a final try to complete a convincing 5–0 victory.

In their final pool match against Zimbabwe, Cobham conceded early but responded with tries from both Jago and Arlo. A superb run from Rafe set up another for Jago, and further tries from Noah and Arlo sealed an impressive 6–2 win.

Cobham advanced to the Cup Finals undefeated. 15 tries scored and 4 tries conceded. Great effort both sides of the ball.

→ Saturday 21st March – Tournament Day 2

Another beautiful day in Monaco began with team photos before the knockout stages.

In the quarter-final against the USA, the supporters could see that the mindset of the boys was on point. Calm but determined. Cobham delivered a dominant performance with crisp, clean passes and a proper defensive shift. Tries by Hugo and Noah gave Cobham a 2-0 lead. Some brave tackling by Hugo and Rafe held USA at bay before our boys scored again, with a try from Jago, followed by one from Teddy, set up nicely by Isaac. A long kick by USA was chased down under huge pressure by Cillian to regain possession. We saw textbook passing by Oliver in this game and a lovely assist from Ed resulting in a fifth try from Arlo, then a final try of the game from Charlie. A 6-0 victory.The semi-final against France was a tense encounter. Cobham had lost to the French Team in the Finals in 2025, so there was a definite undercurrent to this game.

After conceding early, the boys kept their cool and responded with tries from Arlo and Hugo. France levelled at 2–2 late on, but Cobham had held firm defensively with solid tackling and rucking throughout the game by the whole team. Work-rate in defence was off the charts and the line held. Our coaches knew that a draw would get us through but had not told the boys. With no further score, the boys were made aware and celebrations ensued. Cobham progressed to the Final on points difference.

Messaging from the Coaches for the tournament was to play the Cobham 7s way – weaponised kick-offs, composure, fast hands, get the ball wide, be first to the breakdown and defending as a unit. So far, the boys had delivered this magnificently.

In the final against Singapore, Cobham faced a well organised and strategic side. The strongest opposition by far. Singapore had great tactical awareness and pinned the Team back in our third for much of the opening 6 minutes.

Despite their efforts, injuries and relentless pressure left Cobham trailing 4–0. Showing great determination, a late try from Jago – nicely set up by Charlie after strong runs from Rafe and Arlo – gave Cobham a well-deserved score, but the match ended 4–1 to Singapore (last score wins wasn’t in the rule-book unfortunately!).The Cobham supporters could not have been prouder as the team collected their runners-up trophies. The players showed great sportsmanship, applauding the winners as they received the cup from Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II.

Most importantly, every single boy personified ‘Rugby Values’ throughout the tournament. Coach Tom’s ‘Rugby Spirit’ award went to Cillian and Jago for a couple of instances where they showed incredible compassion and empathy to opposition players.The Cobham team have shone not only in the tournament but throughout their journey since October, demonstrating skill, commitment, warmth, good humour, outstanding team spirit and a willingness to learn. None of it would have been possible without the dedication of the coaches and selectors: Tristan, Richard, Kartik, Tristan, Matt, Tom and Alex.

Special thanks to Tristan Craddock for leading and coordinating the entire effort with such dedication. It is a huge amount of work and responsibility to lead a project like this, and he took it on and handled it with aplomb.Another special mention to the wider 7s squad. The boys who didn’t travel to Monaco continued to support and help the team with their training (and have formed part of an impressive Raiders 7s team with some of the Under 12s players). The team are very appreciative of their support. And a massive thanks to the parents and supporters who made the trip possible and backed the team so enthusiastically.

Thank you also to the tour sponsors, Rathbones and Nineteen.Well done to the Under 12s Sainte Dévote Rugby Sevens runners-up – an incredible achievement.