Tilly Palmer Denning stepped up once again for the England U20s in what was her fourth international tournament, joined by ex OR superstar Chloe Hill. On Saturday, their team clinched a dramatic 5–4 victory over France, with the winning try scored just as the final klaxon sounded. In Sunday’s final, the French turned the tables, taking the gold with a reverse of the scoreline. Tilly now adds a silver medal to her impressive collection of three golds, alongside numerous tries scored at international level.
Jocelyn De Acetis represented the England U18 Girls, contributing to a dominant group stage that saw wins over France, South Africa, Ireland, and Wales. The team went on to beat Wales again in the semi-final and secured a hard-fought 5–3 victory over France in the final. This marks Jocelyn’s second consecutive gold medal, bringing her total to 11 international caps.
Isla Kinniburgh, relatively new to touch rugby, has had a remarkable year. After captaining her school, St Bede’s, to victory in the Try-Sports England inter-school girls’ competition, she was selected for the mixed U15 England Lions development squad at the Atlantic Youth Cup. Isla helped the team to strong wins over Portugal, Belgium, and China, before losing out to eventual winners France. Her efforts earned her the title of Player of the Tournament for her side, having scored and assisted in numerous tries.
A huge congratulations to Tilly, Jocelyn, and Isla for their incredible achievements. You are fantastic ambassadors for Old Reigatian Girls and an inspiration to all our players.
The image below shows Jocelyn (left) and Tilly (right). The main featured image shows Isla, with the ball on the right.
