In the Advent/Autumn term, Rugby School UK invited Rugby School Japan and Rugby School Thailand to take part in a Rugby Group Golden Shovel competition. A number of Rugby School Japan students entered and two Year 9s, Luna and Renee, inspired by Taylor Swift and Girl in Red respectively, were chosen as runners up. Ms. Ivey-Sun won the overall staff section.

Almost 100 entries from across the globe were received for the inaugural poetry competition! A Golden Shovel is an example of found poetry created by Terrance Hayes as a way of honouring the poet Gwendolwyn Brooks. Hayes took Brooks’ short poem 'We Real Cool' and used it as inspiration for a new poem, and a new poetic form, where he used each word of the original poem as the final word in each line of his new, found poem called The Golden Shovel.

The students and staff will receive prizes and winners' certificates in due course. Their winning entries will also feature in 'Rabbit Hole', Rugby School's creative writing anthology, which will be edited this year by Rugby School UK’s Poet Laureate, Nihal Kumar.

Enjoy reading Luna and Renee’s poems below:

We fell in Love In October, Inspired by Girl In Red

Laying on the soft grass, Looking
Beyond the horizon, I search the skies, At
The celestial wonders that meets my eyes, The
Stars shimmering with their stunning light, Stars
In the vast view of the endless night, Admiring
Their distant glow, a timeless art, From
Where I stand, I feel their pull upon my heart
from Afar

Renee Y9

The Lakes, Inspired by Taylor Swift

It was your love that I would take
To my grave. The looks you gave me
When we would go on walks to
The beautiful lakes.
We had deep conversations where
We would map out all
Our life, like classic fairy tales, imagining we
were the
two people written by romantic poets.
As time past and the years went
By, realised that I want you to be the last
person i talk to
When I die.

Luna Y9