Cranleigh have been named the fifteenrugby.com School Team of the Term for the 2016 Michaelmas Term after a poll which attracted well over 10,000 votes.

They secured 19% of the vote with a total of 1,927 votes, ahead of Rugby School on 1,763, and Brighton College on 1,415.

Cranleigh enjoyed a superb season during which they won the prestigious St Joseph’s Festival after a dramatic final against Brighton College. It was just the second time that Cranleigh had entered the tournament and the win also served to make them the holders of two of the most prestigious titles in schools rugby at the same time as they are zlso the current HSBC Rosslyn Park National School 7s Champions.

Martin Reader tweeted: “Congratulations @CranleighschRU on being voted @FifteenRugbyXV team of the term. The more humbling accolade for all was the nomination!”

Their season record was an excellent one, having only lost twice, to Wellington College and Brighton College, who were both also on the School Team of the Term shortlist.

The result is also a credit to the wider Cranleigh family as OCs weighed in heavily to the poll with more than 1000 responding to last week’s social media request to vote and more joining in after an appeal from the OCRFC and OCHC.   It is all the more impressive as Cranleigh is the second-smallest school of the shortlisted ten with only St Peter’s York having fewer pupils.