Jesse Mander

Jesse completed his first year at St Paul’s last term. He capped his first season as Captain of the U14s with his selection to represent the Independent Schools’ Barbarians at the Trophee Jean Rumeau, held in the stadium of Biarritz Olympique.

Watched by a crowd of about 5000, he made an outstanding contribution to the team, helping to defeat St Jean de Luz, Colomiers, Stade Francais and Dublin. The Barbarians reached a closely contested final against Bayonne (0–0), during which a fine line break from Jesse seemed to have broken the deadlock. The team was awarded the trophy on tries scored throughout the tournament, bringing Bayonne’s 11-year hold on the trophy to an end.