by Alan Quick

CHILDREN from a Crediton Primary School took part in a range of Remembrance activities including an assembly and a commemorative tag rugby match on Friday, November 10.

Simultaneous school assemblies were held at Hayward’s Primary School in Crediton and at Ide Primary School near Exeter, before the tag rugby team from Hayward’s travelled to Ide to play the commemorative game.

Presented during the assemblies to each team was team shirts which replicate Ide Rugby Football Club senior team and which carry the names of those who died from Ide during the First World War, along with the image of the Royal British Legion poppy.

Before the tag rugby match started a two minutes’ silence was observed before the presentation of a donation of £250 to representatives from the Royal British Legion.

Hayward’s Primary School teacher Scott Baker is the chairman of Ide RFC.

He explained: The game was linked to Ide Barbarians RFC, a charity rugby team who raise money for military charities in memory of the War dead of the village of Ide.

“The team folded after World War One as many of the players died on the front line.

“The previous captain was my great uncle who died at Cambrai in 1917.

“A picture of the old team was found in 2013 and it was in 2014 that the team was reformed.

The newspaper “The Guardian” did write an article about us when we reformed in 2014, and we received a lot of support from across the county.

“We continue to play a few games including last year playing England Deaf to raise awareness of hearing impairments in sport.”

Mr Baker said that the match was greatly enjoyed by the children from both schools, adding that there was a good crowd of spectators from each school watching.

He thanked all those who took part, Cat Barker, Ide Primary School class teacher and Ide Barbarians joint club captain Simon Thompson, who spoke in the assembly at Ide School, assisted by joint club captain James Chapman.

He added thanks to Liam Bayley, a student from Queen Elizabeth’s School in Crediton, who was referee for the match and who also led the two minutes silence by blowing a commemorative 100th anniversary Battle of Passchendaele whistle.

The rugby match ended in a draw.

Mr Baker added that in October Ide Barbarians RFC presented £250 to the London Fire Brigade Veterans fund.

He explained: “One of our players was involved in the Grenfell tower block disaster and that was why we supported that particular charity.”

On Remembrance Sunday Ide Barbarians and Barnes Veterans from London played a match at Topsham Rugby Cub with donations collected for the Royal British Legion.