Colts set to face off in a class war

BY JAMES CUNLIFFE

Bedford Blues and Bedford Athletic will go to war at Putnoe Woods in the National Colts Cup quarter finals - the first ever competitive fixture on Ath territory.

Up for grabs for the victors, aside from a last four spot, will be the chance to rule the roost in town, at the clubs and on college campuses.

Athletic prop Stuart Jordan and Blues’ captain Steve Smith, who was Ath’s skipper and influential fly-half last year, are both students of the hugely successful Bedford College Rugby Academy, which for the last four years has seen at least one youngster each season win England honours.

The two lads, both 18, first met at the age of 10 at Robert Bruce Middle School before Jordan moved to Wootton Upper and Smith to Hastingsbury Upper.

They were then both reunited at the college academy.

But campuses are set to be split down the middle as Smith is a sport student at Bedford College and Jordan is on an outdoor education course at Shuttleworth College - which merged with Bedford last year.

Smith, who now plays at centre for Blues but has starred for Ath at Twickenham at U9 level, said: “It’s the quarter finals of a national cup so it’s a big game and one we both want to win and do well in.

“I know most of the Ath players as I used to play for them. This is my first season at the Blues.

“I think they [Ath] see the game as one where they’ve got nothing to lose, and look at us as a team with everything to lose.


“We are the underdogs so it will be amazing if we beat them. It’s certainly our hardest game but if we do win then I think we could go all the way.”