February OS News
Geoffrey Grime (P 60-65) Awarded an OBE for Services to the Community
Congratulations to Geoffrey Grime (P 60-65) who was awarded an OBE in 2020 New Year Honours List for services to the community.
Geoffrey arrived in Jersey in 1969 as an accountant to work at Coopers & Lybrand, intending to stay for only two years. He has been an influential figure in the finance industry, in the arts, in charitable work for prostate cancer and in the church, to name just a few of his areas of interest.
He also served a term as Deputy of St Mary and has been a Jurat for over four years also involved in several family trusts.
‘It keeps me busy and out of mischief,’ he says with a smile.
Of all his achievements, the one that has given him most satisfaction was the setting up of Jersey Finance, the body that promotes the Island’s finance industry across the world. It came about in a way that typifies his attitude to life.
At a dinner, sitting between the-then Senator Frank Walker and Richard Pratt, director of the Financial Services Commission, the conversation turned to the Edwards report into Jersey’s finance industry. It had argued that it was wrong for the regulation and promotion of the finance industry to lie with the one body – the commission.
‘I had been out of a job for three months so I said “why don’t I just set up a company to promote the finance industry”?’
From that casual conversation, Jersey Finance was born.
‘It’s going from strength to strength and to me that’s possibly the most important thing I’ve done and the one that gave me great personal satisfaction as well,’ he said.
Upon his retirement in 1999, it is unsurprising that he became conscious of gaps in his diary. In early 1970, he started his professional life with a part-time secretary but, 29 years later, he was responsible for 450 staff, 60 of whom were based in Guernsey. He would make 40-odd business trips a year. ‘After I’d made my 50th visit to Nairobi, I stopped counting,’ he said.
As a Jurat, he served only a single term in the States, having contracted prostate cancer which forced him to reappraise the situation but the setback led to his involvement in setting up the Macmillan Prostate Cancer Support Group, which has championed not just the interests of sufferers but also the importance of testing for early detection of the illness. The group received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for its efforts.
Please click here to read the article in full.
Hong Kong Hip Hop Artist Ben Cheng (P 09-13) Performs His First International Concert
Congratulations to Ben Cheng (P 09-13), known by his stage name Tyson Yoshi, who recently performed his first international concert in Taiwan. Ben, who released his debut album 1st in September last year, was interviewed by Young People, part of Hong Kong’s leading English newspaper, about why he left his hip hop label to go independent, as well as his break-out single To My Queen.
“It was the first song I wrote in Mandarin,” says Yoshi, who dropped the single in July of 2018.
“My girlfriend and I were celebrating a year together, so instead of buying her a gift or taking her out for dinner, I wanted to do something memorable,” he recalls.
During work, Yoshi jotted down the lyrics, before heading home to record the song.
“I gave it to her and posted it on Instagram before going to sleep. When I woke up the next day, suddenly my Instagram was exploding with comments, and I thought – maybe I’ve done something that people actually like!”
The To My Queen music video has currently racked up more than 1 million views on YouTube.
With a steady stream of content, Yoshi’s rise hasn’t wavered, despite having made the tough decision to leave local indie label Greytone. “[It] felt like a team, but I always felt a lot of pressure with that because I’ve got a nine-to-five job,” he admits. “Time is quite flexible for some of them, so they can do mid-week shows, take trips to other countries for gigs and come back, but I can’t. Every time I said ‘no’ to things, I felt I was letting them down – so I thought it’d be better if I managed myself.”
Many artists would consider this a risky strategy, especially when trying to balance a music career with full-time work, but it seems to be paying off for Yoshi, with his music resonating with friends and fans alike.
He states with a smile, “Yeah, they were quite surprised how hip hop can be like this.”
His most recent single Christy has also seen great success, surpassing 2.2 million views on YouTube. Click here to read the full article.
Adam Rickitt (E 91-96) Takes Over Craft Beer Bar Dexter and Jones
Actor and singer Adam Rickitt (E 91-96) and his Good Morning Britain presenter wife, Katy, have bought the popular craft beer bottle shop, gin specialist and micro bar Dexter and Jones after falling in love with the venue in Knutsford.
Adam, who found fame playing Nick Tilsley in Coronation Street, said: “From the moment we discovered the place we were hooked. Whether it was drinking in or finding a treasure to take home, it was just like a grown-up sweet shop.”
“We said to the owners there and then that if they ever even thought about selling up they had to let us know first.”
Katy added: “Then in the summer, the day before we boarded the plane for our holiday, one of owners rang to say they were putting the place on the market. We just looked at each other and in unison said: ‘Yes’.”
Adam, who currently plays Kyle Kelly in Hollyoaks and had a top five single with 1999’s I Breathe Again, said: “We won’t be changing anything that so many love about Dexter and Jones, but we are looking to improve the wine and coffee offering, as well as putting on some food like cakes, tapas and toasties. Basically, just little tweaks that mean we can actually just live there!”
Katy added: “For us this is very much our baby. We will both always do our day jobs but at the same time we have wanted to do something together for so long and just feel lucky that we can do that with something we have such passion for.”
Adam said: “At a time when high streets are becoming carbon copies of themselves, owning something so individual and with such a great reputation feels like a real responsibility but something we hope everyone will come to enjoy as much as us.” Click here to read the full article.
George Hill (W 14-19) Captains England U19 To Cricket World Cup Win and wins Wetherell Award
All-rounder George Hill (W 14-19) was named England U19 vice-captain for the recent U19 World Cup in South Africa, having stepped up to lead the side several times in 2019. Despite missing England’s first two defeats to the West Indies and Australia, George was called in for their final group match against Nigeria, performing superbly with the ball to end up with 4/12 bowling figures to help England bowl Nigeria out for 58 and secure their first win of the tournament. George was awarded man of the match.
After England had failed to reach the eight-team Quarter Final stage, George then captained England to a convincing 9-wicket victory over Japan in the plate competition. Fellow Old Winderian Harry Brook (W 13-17) also captained the England U19s in the 2008 edition of the competition.
George also featured in England’s final emphatic victories over Zimbabwe, where he scored 90 off 93 with the bat, and Sri Lanka in the Plate Final.
George has played for his native Yorkshire from U14 level and joined the Academy in 2016. In 2019, he signed his first professional contract with the White Rose county. He toured Bangladesh with England U19s in early 2019, scoring 91 in the second Youth Test and averaging 42 in the series.
His starring role in 2019 was as 12th man for England in his home county and supplying Ben Stokes with the replacement bat that took the hosts to an unlikely victory in the third Test at Headingley. Please click here for more information on the tournament.
It was also recently announced that George won, for the second consecutive year, the Cricket Society’s Wetherell Award for the leading all-round cricketer in schools cricket for last summer’s performances.
Josh Hodge (P 13-18), Will Haydon-Wood (P 14-19), Rob Farrar (H 13-18) and Tom Curtis (S 17-19) Named in England Squad for U20 Six Nations
Josh Hodge (P 13-18), Will Haydon-Wood (P 14-19), Rob Farrar (H 13-18) and Tom Curtis (S 17-19) were all named in the initial England squad for the U20 Six Nations Championships. Will (Newcastle Falcons), Rob (Newcastle Falcons) and Tom (Sale Sharks) are hoping to make their debut at U20s level, while last year’s U20 World Championship top point-scorer Josh (Newcastle Falcons) is playing his second year while also taking up an apprentice role in the senior England squad for the Six Nations.
Josh Hodge made a terrific start to England’s campaign, showing his incredible pace and quick feet to score a try of his own and converting another try as well as a penalty to help England overcome France in their opening game. Click here for a full report. Josh unfortunately missed England’s latest fixture against Scotland due to injury.
The men will also compete in this summer’s World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy with both experiences serving as key milestones in the development of the young players selected.
England U20 Six Nations Fixtures:
1st February – won vs. France (Stade des Alpes, Grenoble) 29-24
7th February – won vs. Scotland (Myreside, Edinburgh) 21-17
21st February – lost vs. Ireland (Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton) 39-21
6th March – vs. Wales (Kingsholm, Gloucester)
15th March – vs. Italy (Payanini Rugby Center, Verona)
Please click here for more information.
Abbie Scott (R 09-11) Named In England Six Nations Squad
Congratulations to Abbie Scott who was also named in the Red Roses Squad for the Six Nations Championships, which commenced on 2nd February and will conclude on 15th March. Abbie helped England win the Six Nations Grand Slam last year, which included her captaining the Red Roses to a convincing 51-12 win over Wales.
However, Abbie is apparently still suffering from a lingering injury which forced her out of action for the final two autumn internationals against France and Italy at the end of last year.
Abbie’s first taste of playing rugby was touch at the age of 10, before progressing through the age groups. She was a member of the England squad that won the U20 Nations Cup in 2011 and spent the summer of 2014 playing in Canada for Strathcona Druids.
Abbie became the first former Sedbergh School girl to represent England in a senior national sporting team and scored a try in her first start, against Italy in 2015. Abbie was then a key member of the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup squad, starting in the final against New Zealand.
The Harlequins second row played in all five England games at the 2018 Women’s Six Nations. She was one of the 28 players to have received a full-time contract in 2019, and as previously mentioned, later that year helped England win the Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam, scoring tries against Wales and Italy. In June 2019, she was named in Simon Middleton’s Super Series squad and captained the side in their opening match against the USA.
England Women U20 Six Nations Fixtures:
2nd February – won vs. France 19-13 (Stade du Hameau, Pau)
10th February – won vs. Scotland 53-0 (Scotstour Stadium, Glasgow)
23rd February – won vs. Ireland 27-0 (Castle Park, Doncaster)
7th March – vs. Wales (Twickenham Stoop, London)
15th March – vs. Italy (Stadio Plebiscito, Padova)
Click here to read the article in full.
Jack Hill (SH 16-18) Starts For Scotland U20s In U20 Six Nations
Congratulations to Jack Hill (SH 16-18) who is currently competing for Scotland U20s at the Six Nations Championships. Jack was in action in the opening Scottish game against Ireland in Cork, as well as a tight loss to England more recently.
Currently enrolled at Durham University, back-row Jack Hill has risen through the national age-grades, representing Scotland at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels.
A tough tackling blindside-flanker, Jack has also seen game time with English Premiership side Sale Sharks’ under-18 side.
Jack made his Scotland U20 debut against New Zealand during the 2019 World Rugby U20 Championship in New Zealand.
Ali Crossdale (P 14-16) Makes Premier Rugby Debut For Saracens
Congratulations to Ali Crossdale (P 14-16) who made his debut for the Saracens in the Premiership League recently. The winger was in action as the Saracens defeated third-placed Sale Sharks 36-22 at Allianz Park.
Sam Moore (W 15-17) Leaves Sale Sharks To Join Cardiff Blues
Sam, who is an age grade England International and has represented England at U16s, 17s, 18s, 19s and U20’s level, is Welsh qualified through his father Steve, who played three times for Wales and also played for the Blues.
Commenting on the announcement Sam said: “I’m really pleased to be joining Cardiff Blues. I am convinced this is the best place for me to progress my career.”
“I am eternally grateful to Sale Sharks, who gave me my first opportunity. I have been in their system since I was 14 and have a huge amount of friends there. I wish them the very best for the future.”
“But I was born in Cardiff and my Dad played here in the 90s so it is a place that is close to my heart and I cannot wait to get started at the Arms Park.”
“While I grew up in England and came through the system there, I view myself as a Welshman and it would be great to reach the same heights as my dad and uncle.”
Click here to read the full article.
Carwyn Tuipulotu (E) – The 125kg U18 That’s The Talk of Welsh Rugby
Current Evanian Carwyn Tuipulotu has been turning heads in the rugby world as the latest in a strong family line, with cousins the Faletau and the Vunipola brothers, as well as Saracens youngsters Manu Vunipola and Kapeli Pifeleti.
Carwyn is also the son of Katilimoni Tuipulotu, a prominent member of Tonga’s squad at the 1999 Rugby World Cup, who remains to this day a significant influence on his career. Through the highs and the lows, he continues to be the steady presence at the youngster’s side.
Although a second row in schoolboy rugby at Sedbergh, Tuipulotu is almost certain to play the bulk of his senior rugby in the back row, with the Welsh region having pounced on the promising youngster and ensured his future is with the Scarlets in Llanelli. Standing 6’ 2” and weighing in at 125kg, you can see why the Welsh region wanted to take a shot on Tuipulotu.
He is looking to get leaner as he transitions into men’s rugby and establishes himself as a back rower, something which should only further benefit his already formidable ball-carrying ability. Given that the Scarlets are gifted with a number of talented flankers, all of whom are capable of influencing the battle at the breakdown as well as putting in the work rate in defence, it’s not difficult to envision how they see Tuipulotu fitting into their loose forwards moving forward.
In fact, despite still being at school, Tuipulotu has already begun training with the Scarlets’ senior side and was even included as a travelling reserve when the team played the Cheetahs earlier this season. The Scarlets won’t rush him into action before he’s ready, but it’s mark of the regard they already hold the forward in, that he’s being put in the mix with the seniors.
Tuipulotu started out in Newcastle Falcons’ academy but, being Welsh-qualified, was identified by the Welsh Exiles programme and the Scarlets swooped early for him. This subsequently saw him involved with the Wales U18 team, as well as him continuing to distinguish himself at Sedbergh, playing a pivotal role in a side that has enjoyed unmatched success in English schoolboy rugby of late. There is a calculated risk in doing what the Scarlets did, attempting to identify and contract as young as 16 years of age, although right now, it looks as though it is about to pay dividends for the region.
His first real taste of that senior rugby world could come this summer, with the back rower undoubtedly on the Wales U20s’ radar, despite still being at school. For the plethora of jackals and contact area specialists that the Welsh age-grade pathway has turned out in recent seasons, it has struggled to replicate that productivity with physical ball-carriers, something which Tuipulotu certainly could help change.
Click here to read the full article.
Murray Redpath (S) and Cameron Melville (S) Named In U18 Scotland Training Squad
Congratulations to current Sedgwickians Murray Redpath and Cameron Melville, who were named in U18 Scotland Training Squad. Following the camp, a series of training weekends will take place throughout the early part of the year, integrating additional identified SQ players into the programme and culminating with the U18 Six Nations Festival in April. Click here for more info.
