School Profile - Millfield

A substantial expansion took place in the 1960s when the choolbecame co-educational. CRM Atkinson became headmaster in 1971, and carried out a major building programme that established modern purpose-built facilities throughout the academic and recreational areas of the school.

The main part of the school is surrounded by more than 100 acres of Somerset parkland and playing fields, which includes a cross-country riding course, stabling for 50 horses, a 50m Olympic swimming pool and an indoor tennis centre. Not surprisingly, Millfield has a great all-round sporting pedigree and rugby is no exception. They entered the Daily Mail Cup for the first time last season and reached the quarter-finals before losing by one point to Epsom College, the eventual winners.

This season's XV is full of character. They started their time at school by losing two of their first three games but are unbeaten since then and avenged those defeats by RGS High Wycombe and Colston's this season, in which they have won several close games by not giving up until the finalwhistle. They beat a highly-fancied Whitgift side away in the quarter-final with a last-gasp try conjured by their impressive wings - RJ Peach setting up Daniel Barnhouse.

The squad contains several boys who are part of thesoccer and hockey teams - Millfield's main sports this term. The hockey XI are in the National Cup semi-finals tomorrow and the soccer team in the final stages of the county cup.Trevor Greenhill, an Old Colfeian and proud of it, is master in charge of rugby but insists he is only on board for the ride and the praise should go to coaches Tony Shaw and Ian Kindon.

ROUTE TO SEMI-FINALS

1st rnd Ridings (a) won 15-13
2nd rnd: Heathfield(h) won 51-0
3rd rnd: Clevedon (a) won 40-9
4th rnd Downside H) won 51-0
5th rnd: Thomas Hardye won 35-0
6th rnd Plymouth College (h) won 12-5
qtr-final: Whitgift (a) won 10-8.