Michaelmas Term - Sports Round-up

Director of Rugby Andy Houston’s pre-season target of a 60% win ratio has never really looked in danger and the final weekend fixture saw the Rugby Club pass the 62% win rate – a considerable achievement for a school our size and on our circuit. Most Saturdays we have fielded 15 or so rugby sides, meaning that despite the obvious successes we remain true to our primary goal of getting as many pupils as possible to participate. In a season crammed with highlights the 1^st XV’s one-point victory over Tonbridge will live long in the memory of those who witnessed it, but the U16s’ fantastic season also deserves a mention. Both A and B sides won nine of their ten games this season, and the U16Cs were unbeaten throughout.

On the hockey front things have, if possible, been even more remarkable, with a win/draw-ratio of almost 80% and three teams unbeaten in their block fixtures: the 1sts, U16As and U14As – the latter notching up a quite staggering goal difference of 60-8. Just under a quarter of all the girls in the School have played hockey in South Regional matches, and our success in the National Competitions has been impressive: our U18s are South Regional Champions and go forward to the National Finals next term – a first for our Senior girls; the U14s are Surrey and Regional Champions and also qualify for the National Finals. Indoors the U18s are Surrey Champions, the U16s are Surrey and Regional Champions, qualifying for the Nationals in January, and the U16 boys are South Regional Champions and also qualify for the Nationals for the first time in the School’s history. No fewer than 18 pupils were involved in the Tier 1 Regional matches and 10 in the Tier 2s (more details can be found on the Personal Bests section of this newsletter). We remain then, one of the very finest hockey schools in the country.

Minority sports also continue to flourish with squash, golf, fives and water polo players all competing on a regular basis this term. Perhaps most notable among these was the performance of our kayakers, who built on their strong performance in the Devizes-to-Westminster Canoe Race at Easter by competing in the National School’s Championships: Laurence Fortescue and Rob Harrison were crowned sprint champions and Cranleigh won the overall Schools’ Championship. Our riders meanwhile continue what has been an unprecedented few years of success with medals in Dressage and Mini-Arena Eventing at the National Championships.