The Burnham U10s travelled to Southend this morning for what promised to be a lively encounter—though the adults may have been moving a little slower than usual after a “high-level Christmas strategy meeting” at the White Harte the night before. Fortunately, the players arrived with far more spark, showing the energy needed for a busy morning of rugby.

As is often the case against the larger clubs, Burnham were significantly outnumbered. In the spirit of good rugby and strong competition, Southend loaned two players to Burnham for each match. This allowed for rolling substitutions, kept the tempo high, and ensured everyone got plenty of game time.

After a sluggish start, Burnham soon kicked into gear. What followed was vintage U10s rugby: tough tackling, relentless intensity, and huge commitment. Across multiple games, every single player made meaningful contributions—whether through fearless tackles, strong rips, determined rucking, darting runs, or well-taken tries.

There remains room for improvement at the breakdown, where a little more urgency is still needed, but even here the progress is clear week by week. What stands out most is how this team is growing together—communicating better, supporting each other, and playing with increasing cohesion. The coaches, players and parents should be very proud.

With so many standout performances, choosing a single Player of the Week was no easy task. But after much deliberation, Dan and Katherine awarded the trophy to Harry—a decision based on his remarkable consistency at a very high level.

Harry is one of our strongest players. His powerful, surging runs regularly draw in multiple defenders (the brave ones, at least). But what truly sets him apart is his rugby intelligence - he understands the space he creates and uses it brilliantly, delivering perfectly timed offloads to set up teammates for clear run-ins. Though he often has the pace and strength to finish the tries himself, his understanding of the space he creates and how he can use team mates to exploit it is a huge skill for someone of his age—and an exciting sign for Burnham’s future.

Great work, Harry! Great work, Mighty Under 10s!