Burke's law has turned Epsom into champions

Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby’s great schools

- Brendan Gallagher

THIRTY years ago Paul Burke was captaining Epsom College as well as playing fly-half for the England Schools 18 Group so there is an element of life turning full circle now that he is back as director of rugby at the Surrey school who continue to punch well above their weight on one of the toughest of circuits.

In between times he enjoyed a distinguished career that straddled the amateur and professional eras with spells at Loughborough University, London Irish, Munster, Bristol, Cardiff, Harlequins and finally Leicester Tigers where he also served as assistant coach to Richard Cockerill. There were also 13 caps for Ireland during which he clocked up 108 points.

Burke returned to Epsom in 2015 and took over the role of director of rugby in 2016 and, in the last two seasons in particular, Epsom have begun to flex their muscles impressively, reaching the final of the Champions Cup in 2018, when they lost a spectacular game against Wellington College 24-16, and then reaching the semi-final last season when Wellington again accounted for them in a fine encounter. They are beginning to keep very good company indeed.

Burke is also in an ideal position to compare the two eras of schoolboy rugby, separated by three decades: “I’m in awe at the overall quality of schools rugby at present, there are so many outstanding teams, being trained and coached at the highest level.