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, led by Colonel Martin Wells, featuring a military Pipe Major and a bugler who played The Last Post before a two-minute silence at 11am. Following this, team captains laid wreaths at the Royal Artillery’s War Memorial.
Players were piped onto the pitch for each match by the Pipe Major, who then played the national anthem. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Jo Blunden and Head of Sport St Mary’s, Andrew Reid-Smith, formally started each match by firing a 25-pound artillery gun. The double-header saw St Mary's women’s and men’s rugby teams compete against their Royal Artillery counterparts. St Mary's women secured a 31-27 victory, while the Royal Artillery won the men’s match 38-8.
The matches highlighted shared values such as leadership, respect, teamwork, discipline, resilience, and courage, which are important to both organisations. Jo Blunden, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at St Mary's University, stated: "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."
This event builds on the university's relationship with the Armed Forces community. St Mary's University recently became signatories to the Armed Forces Covenant and is developing new academic programmes to support the defence workforce. Last year's inaugural fixtures were part of the university's 175th anniversary celebrations, during which four Rugby World Cup-winning alumnae were recognised.
The second Remembrance Rugby trophy matches mark another milestone in this relationship, with both organisations pleased to see the occasion develop into an annual tradition. The day demonstrated the friendship between St Mary's University and the Royal Artillery, bringing both communities together to remember, reflect, and celebrate their shared values.
