St Mary’s University joined the Royal Artillery at Larkhill yesterday for the second double-header Remembrance Trophy fixtures, a sporting partnership that brings students and military personnel together to honour those who have served and remember those who have sacrificed.
The event celebrated the partnership between St Mary’s and the Royal Artillery, providing an opportunity for both communities to come together through sport, remembrance and reflection.
The day began with a Remembrance Service, which was led by Colonel Martin Wells and featured a military Pipe Major, and a bugler who played The Last Post before a two -minute silence at 11am. Following this, the team captains laid wreaths at the Royal Artillery’s War Memorial.
The players were piped onto the pitch for each match by the Pipe Major, who then played the national anthem after the pre-match handshakes. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Jo Blunden and Head of Sport St Mary’s, Andrew Reid-Smith, were then invited to fire a 25-pound artillery gun to formally start each match.
The double-header saw St Mary’s women’s and men’s rugby teams take on their Royal Artillery counterparts. In the women’s match, St Mary’s secured a 31-27 victory, while the Royal Artillery claimed victory in the men’s match with a 38-8 win.
Beyond the results, the matches provided an opportunity to celebrate the values shared by both organisations. Sport is an important part of St Mary's identity, offering students opportunities to develop skills and qualities including leadership, respect, teamwork, discipline, resilience and courage. These values closely reflect those upheld by the Royal Artillery, playing sports a natural foundation for the partnership.
Jo Blunden, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at St Mary's University said: "St Mary's staff and students were honoured to be guests of the Royal Artillery yesterday. Our shared values of excellence and respect were evident in the sportsmanship displayed by both teams, and we look forward to welcoming the Gunners back to St Mary's next year."
The event builds on the relationship between St Mary's and the Armed Forces community. The University recently became signatories to the Armed Forces Covenant and is developing new academic programmes to support the defence workforce in the UK.
Last year, the University welcomed the Royal Artillery for its the inaugural Remembrance Trophy fixtures as part of its 175th anniversary celebrations. During these celebrations, four Rugby World Cup winning St Mary’s alumnae were recognised for their contribution to women's rugby as members of the Red Roses and were awarded Honorary Doctorates in Sport.
The second Remembrance Rugby trophy matches mark another important milestone in this relationship, with both organisations pleased to see the occasion develop into an annual tradition.
The day was a powerful demonstration of the friendship between St Mary's University and the Royal Artillery, bringing both communities together to remember, reflect and celebrate the shared values that unite them.