DEVIZES School held its biggest ever sporting event on Saturday 8 December, with more than 30 teams from across the south of England travelling to take part in a festival of rugby.

The third annual under 12s rugby tournament, which attracted an estimated 2,000 spectators and schools from as far as Bournemouth and Torquay, was won by favourites Oratory Prep School, Reading.

But the highly-fancied Reading school were made to work hard by both Devizes and Sheldon, Chippenham, before lifting the crown.

Hosts Devizes went down by just a single try in the group stages, while 1999 winners Sheldon held Oratory to a draw in Group B before going down 12-0 in the final.

Devizes were knocked out at the last 16 stage of the main tournament after qualifying from their group, while Malmesbury School qualified for the Plate competition alongside Wootton Bassett.

Malmesbury defeated their Wiltshire rivals 12-7 in the semi-final before going down to a 12-0 defeat to Clevedon in the final of the competition, which was contested by teams that had finished fifth and sixth in the group stages.

Schools finishing in the bottom two of each group went forward to a Bowl competition, where Oakfield School saw off the challenge of Dorcan in the final.

Gloucester and England winger Tom Beim presented trophies to the winners and runners-up, along with Oratory's Koyejo Oloko, who was voted player of the tournament.

Nick Passenger, deputy head of physical education at Devizes School, organised the tournament and was delighted with response from both players and spectators.

He said: "It was absolutely fantastic. I think we calculated that we had 2,000 people there at one stage. The following from schools from places like Torquay was amazing.

"I was very pleased overall and pleased with the help we had. Tom Beim was great as well. He turned up at midday, watched the rugby, and gave a great speech at the end.

"There was a great atmosphere and the kids loved it and enjoyed the whole day. That made it all worthwhile in the end."

Passenger was impressed by the showing of Wiltshire teams against established rugby-playing schools like Oratory Prep.

He said: "We got to the last 16 and lost to Oratory. They get to the last eight of the national competition every year and it is a great tribute to the local schools that they were given hard games all the way through.

"Sheldon actually drew with them in the group matches, but I think their experience of winning these sort of things told in the final and they won by two tries to nil."

Just three schools entered the tournament in its inaugural year in 1999 and Passenger hopes the event will continue to grow in 2002. The date for the fourth annual Devizes under 12s tournament has been set for Saturday December 7.

Said Passenger: "The nice thing from our point of view is that schools like Oratory will have to come back next year and defend their title.

"Hopefully that will lift the event in terms of the teams we invite next year."