YOUNG rugby stars at Barnard Castle School have shown their mettle by cleaning up the honours in a host of competitions.

The under-14 side beat St Leonard's, Durham 45-12 to take the Durham County Cup. Two days later, they went on to win the Durham under-14 Festival of Rugby, beating Emmanuel College, Gateshead 10-0 in the final.

The sevens squad also won the Sedbergh Sevens, beating the host team 26-17 in the final. The under-14s lost just three matches all season and two players - Rory Clegg and Matthew Lister - have been selected for the county under-15 side.

Coach Howard Charlesworth said: "This has been an excellent season. The boys have trained in all weathers and have worked very hard. There has been a wonderful team spirit and this was shown in the recent cup finals."

Captain Rory Clegg added: "It was a proud moment for me to receive the two trophies on behalf of the team. We have improved a lot from last year and each player has done his share. The three boys from Hong Kong have contributed a lot."

Mr Charlesworth said the under-14s would form the nucleus of the school's first team in about four years time. "It is at this age that the foundations are laid," he said.