RUGBY-loving pupils from King John School will be gunning for a place in the regional finals of a national tournament tomorrow.

The lads in the year seven team won through the district level of the Emerging Schools Rugby Tournament at Southend Rugby Club.

And they return to Warners Bridge Park tomorrow looking for success in the county round of the competition.

“We have not really entered it very many times before but we decided to this year because we were looking to play more rugby,” said Simon Webb, a PE teacher at the secondary school in Shipwrights Drive, Thundersley.

“The team is playing some good rugby and it is the first time we have progressed to the county section.”

The district round saw King John defeat Rayleigh’s FitzWimarc, Rochford’s King Edmund, Gray’s Williams Edwards and Billericay’s Mayflower schools.

King John’s successful squad comprised: Anthony Adcock, Joe Burton, Rhys Connor, Corey Glen, Kai Govinden, Tom Hoggarth, Adam Liddell, Sebastian Mendes, Jamie Moxom, Tyler Ruskin, Jac Sexton, Lucas Swan, Albert Taylor, Daniel Warrens and Albert Wilton.

The winners of the Essex county section will progress to the regional final, with a place in the national final awaiting the successful side.

The competition features full-contact matches, played on half-sized pitches by teams of 12 players.