Spring Term success for RGS sports teams

The Spring Term brought a flurry of success at all levels for RGS sports teams and individuals, including several historic victories which you can read about below.

Hockey

RGS Hockey team makes history with national final victory 

Our Senior Girls Hockey team was crowned national champions – earning a place in the school’s history books.

It is the first time a team from the RGS has won the England Hockey Girls Schools Championships Tier 2 competition, and only the second time a team has made it to the final. 

Facing a strong Sevenoaks’ side, RGS earned a convincing 5-1 victory, with four of their goals coming in the first half.

Speaking about the win, Captain, Libby C, said: "The whole team is extremely excited that we can now call ourselves national champions, I don’t think it has quite sunk in for any of us!

"At the start of the season, we did talk about nationals, but I don’t think we quite believed that we would end the season holding the trophy! For those of us that are leaving this year, I could not think of a better way to end of the season and to end our time playing RGS hockey."

The team played six rounds to reach the final, which took place at the Olympic Venue, Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre - the home of Great Britain and England’s women’s and men’s teams.

They eased through the first four rounds with back-to-back wins against Ripon Grammar School (Round 1: 9-1), St Peters, York (Round 2: 6-0), Ampleforth College (Round 3: 8-0) and Wakefield Girls High School (Round 4: 6-1) with the quarter final seeing the girls coming back from 2-0 down at half time, to beat Denstone College 3-2 before a solid semi-final performance against Princethorpe College earned them a 4-2 victory.

Libby continued: "Playing at Lee Valley was an experience that we will never forget, and it was very nice to have so much support from the side-line, the atmosphere was amazing.

"Everything came together in the final and we played the best hockey that we have ever played. We are all filled with emotions as such an amazing season comes to an end but there was definitely no better way to finish, and I can’t wait to see what this team will be doing next year!"

The historical win comes in the same year that the school - named The Sunday Times Independent School of the Decade in 2021 - is celebrating 20 years of co-education, having originally been set up as an all-boys school in 1525, and 10 years after the London 2012 Olympics.

"Winning this final is the culmination of eight years of hard work," said John Wood, Head of Hockey at the RGS.

"It is a thoroughly well-deserved victory for this great group of young players who were faultless on the day and who showed incredible maturity in the face of what can be a daunting experience. I am immensely proud of everything the girls have achieved, especially given what has been happening over the last two years.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to those people who supported us on the day, from the side-lines and in school."

Match report

Hockey 1^st XI

Ciara B, Rosanna C- D (Vice-Capt.), Libby C (Capt.), Jessica C, Jessica C, Laura C, Hannah D, Alice G (Vice-Capt.), Lexie H, Leila H, Eloise L, Marianne M, Libby R, Iona S, Katie T, Rosie W

Year 6 In2 boys hockey champions

Well done to our Year 6 A team who travelled to Yarm to take part in the area In2 hockey competition.

The team produced some extremely impressive attacking play and could have scored a lot more as the ball fizzed across the goal line.

The team’s positional play and defensive work was excellent, seeing them win 3 matches and draw 1, finishing first in the competition. They now progress onto the regional finals next term.

 

Rugby

Historical 7s win for RGS U16s rugby team

The U16 Rugby 7s made history as they were crowned champions of the Socs RGS Newcastle Sevens.

For the first time in the school’s history, the U16s lifted the cup after a convincing 34-10 victory over Rodillian Academy (Wakefield).

Ten teams from various regions across the north took part in the annual event, which had been postponed in recent years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Having been held since 2012, the tournament is part of the HMC North East 7s circuit which takes place in the Spring Term and sees some of the best teams from the North competing for the coveted cup, as well as a plate and bowl. 

The format of the competition saw the 10 teams split into two groups. RGS was drawn in Group 1 where they faced Rodillian Academy, losing this first match 10-21. The second match saw the team earn a 26-12 win over Prince Henry’s Grammar (Otley) which was followed by consecutive victories against Newcastle School for Boys (52-5) and Yarm School (24-5). A second-place finish was enough to see the boys progress to the semi-finals which proved a tight affair with the team running out 17-12 winners against a tough side from Kirkham Grammar School (Lancashire).  

Speaking about the historic win, team coach, Ben Wallerton, said: "It is an incredible achievement for the team to win this event. I am very proud of how everybody played and the heart on display.

"Every player gave their all and they thoroughly deserved to win. The team is really going from strength to strength in 7s and I am incredibly excited for future challenges."

Special mentions

Any player could have a special mention here as 7s’ tournaments are a real team effort due to loads of rotation. William Ponton provided fantastic leadership on the day alongside Ben Wilson and Charlie Turnbull.

RGS Rugby 1st XV highlights video 

 

Netball

RGS Netball Seniors compete in National Finals following unbeaten season

The Senior Netball team competed in the England Netball National Schools Finals following an unbeaten streak of county and regional matches.

Held at Oundle School this year, following a hiatus in 2021 due to the pandemic, the prestigious tournament saw the top 18 schools in the country contest to be crowned national champions.

The team, which has only been playing together since September 2021, made it to the Nationals Finals having topped both the county and regional competitions without losing a single match.

Wins against local rivals Dame Allan’s and Newcastle High School for Girls (NHSG) saw the girls named County Champions. The regional round saw victories against Yarm School (12-10), Durham High School for Girls (13-9), NHSG (17-9), Park View School (21-8), Ponteland High School (20-4), Barnard Castle School (16-3) and Queen Elizabeth High School (17-4).

"The whole team was super excited that we got through to the National Finals," said Captain, Saffron T.

"It was a shame to miss out on playing last year so we’ve worked hard building up to this season. So far, we’ve had some great results against some competitive sides, winning Regionals unbeaten. We couldn’t wait to go up against the best teams in the country and show them what we’ve got!"

The team is also unbeaten on their fixture card at the halfway stage of the Netball term and in preparation for the National Schools Finals, and to improve the teams’ resilience to more physically demanding games, they played matches against Northumbria University’s 4^th, 3^rd and 2^nd teams. Though playing against opponents who were older than them, the girls were able to hold their own and were victorious in all three games which is a fantastic achievement.

Speaking about the national finals, Head Coach, Miss Hannah Larsen, said: "After an intense weekend, our team showed that the national stage is the standard in which we deserve to play at. Every game which was played was highly competitive and pushed our team to its absolute limit, which was brilliant to see.

"All members of the team stepped up to the national stage with confidence, not only in themselves but in each other, which showed what a cohesive unit they have created.

"Unfortunately, during some games we didn’t come out on top on the day, but it has given us lots to work on and luckily 9 out of our 11 players will still be able to compete next year."

She continued: "It is brilliant to see how far the team has come since the beginning of the year. A number of students joined the RGS this year, so it is great to see all their hard work, in creating a cohesive team, paying off.

"Overall, I am extremely proud of the team and what they have accomplished, and I am looking forward to continuing to help them develop next year!"

Squad

Lucia B Sofia B, Amy D, Abigail F, Kirstin G, Lottie G, Libby R, Anna S, Izzy T, Katie T, Saffron T (Captain)

U13s win Mowden Hall Invitational

The U13 netball girls beat some of the top teams in the area to win the Mowden Hall invitational.

Unbeaten in the tournament, the team scored 48 and conceded only 11 with convincing wins against Durham (10-0) in the semi final and a 7-3 victory over the hosts in the final.

A great all round team performance on the day but stand out performances were from Anika K for her defensive play in the circle and through court play and Avantika A for her accuracy of shooting.

U13s come 1^st and 2^nd in City Tournament

It was an all RGS final for this year’s U13 City Tournament as both our A and B team made it into the last match of the tournament.

Eleven teams took part in the tournament which was set up as a section competition.  Our B team played five teams in their section and having won four matches and drawing one, they found themselves top of their section with Sacred Heart Catholic High School to face in the semi-final. The match was won convincingly by our team who waited to see who they would take on in the final.

Our A team played 4 games in their section, coming out as winners having won all their matches. They faced a strong NHSG team in the semi-final, which they won 9-3.

This result would see an all RGS final and with both teams having come top of their sections, it was sure to be a thrilling final.  It was a closely contested match but the A team just managed to pull head with the final score finishing 7-4.

Both teams and all the players were exceptional throughout the tournament, but special mentions go to Florence B (A team) for her through court play and B team players Abbie F (fantastic shooting) and Hannah T (interceptions).

Summing up the successful season, Coach, Miss Lill, said: "Overall, the netball season for the whole of Year 8 has been excellent. There has been over 30 girls at training on a regular basis and every girl in Year 8 has played a competitive fixture this term.

"There is a lot of natural ability in the year group which has meant that we have been able to produce some fantastic results across both the A and B team this year.

"I am looking forward to taking this year group into next season and seeing how far they can progress and take on the challenge of the National schools competition."

A Team                                    

Anika K, Sofia W, Avantika A, Georgia N, Olivia L, Isabel Y, Safiyah I, Florence B (Capt), Caitlin C

B Team

Kathy K, Bobbie D, Emily F, Ann O-G (Capt), Imogen L, Tyesha D, Hannah T, Abbie F

U14s finish in top three of regional competition

Our U14 netball team has enjoyed another successful season which culminated in a top three finish of the regional competition.

January saw the team run out as winners of the Jesmond Schools Tournament – the first time a team from the RGS has won the competition. The team went undefeated as they played against DAGS, NHSG and Durham High School for Girls.

In what was a fantastic team effort, Tabitha A produced a standout performance, hardly missing a shot.

The team then went on to win the U14 County Tournament beating DAGS, NHSG, John Spence and Gosforth High in the process. The round robin style competition meant teams played each other once, with our U14 team once again undefeated, meaning qualification into the regional round. Defenders, Eva J and Elena B, as well as shooter Tabitha A, all stood out in what was a great team success.

Having made it to the Regional Round of the National Schools Competition, the team played matches against Yarm (overall competition winners), Durham School, Durham High School for Girls, Prudhoe, NHSG and Bede Academy.

A draw with Durham School saw the team earn a third-place finish, due to goal difference, having won four games in the process, with Alice W producing a standout performance on the day.

Speaking about the season, Coach, Mrs Harrison, said: "The Year 9 netball teams have played fantastically this season.  There is a very large pool of talent across all squads, which is fantastic moving forward.

"A highlight of the season was against Woodhouse Grove, it was a nail biting physical match where we won by 1 goal! The B team have had an incredible season winning the majority of their matches."

 

Football

Double cup success for U13 football team

It has been a successful season for our U13 boys football team who have won two cups less than 10 days apart.

On Monday 14^th March, twelve Year 8 boys headed down to Sheffield to take part in the Birkdale Tournament.

The 9-a-side football tournament involved nine independent schools from across the north of England (Tranby, Fulneck, Birkdale, GSAL, Huddersfield Grammar School, Aysgarth, Ackworth, The Read School and RGS Newcastle) and was hosted by Birkdale School.

On a beautiful day for football at a top-class facility, the team won all eight of its matches, scoring 33 goals without conceding once.

RGS ran out winners after beating Huddersfield Grammar School 3-0 in the last game, finishing top of the league by five points.

Speaking about the achievement, Coach, Mr Harman, said: "The level of football played by the boys was outstanding, and left coaches from other schools raving about the performances of our team.

"There were standout performances throughout the day, with Alex L scoring 9 goals, Henry B 8 goals and Adam F laying on assist after assist."

The following week, on Tuesday 22^nd March, the team won the Adam Armstrong City Cup, beating a talented St. Cuthbert’s side 6-5 on penalties after the match finished 1-1 AET in front of a big crowd.

After a bright start from the team, St Cuthbert’s began to assert themselves, making it difficult for the boys to get out of their own half and leaving them having to doggedly defend their goal. A mistake from the St. Cuthbert’s goalkeeper allowed Henry B to fire in and get RGS’s noses in front at half time. The second half saw more resolute defending from RGS in the face of a St. Cuthbert’s onslaught, who managed to get an equaliser late on.

Extra time could not separate the two sides, and in the end, it went to sudden death in the penalty shootout. After Raphael H-E saved two penalties, the deciding spot kick fell to Zac B, who coolly slotted the ball in the back of the net to bring home the trophy.

"Winning the City Cup was a fabulous way to end a successful season," said Mr Harman.

"A big congratulations to all the boys involved this year, I hope they have enjoyed it as much as I have." 

Birkdale Tournament Squad

Zac B, Will B, Finn B, Varun G, Robbie M, Adam F, Alex L, James M, Henry B, Aryan G, Ben B, Massimo J

Adam Armstrong City Cup Squad

Zac B, Abhay P, Ben B, Robbie M, Will B, Finn B, Varun G, Alex L, James M, Henry B, Massimo J, Raphael H-E, Alfie W, Oscar D, Nifemi O, Aryan G

U12s crowned City Cup Champions

The U12s journey to the City Cup final comprised of two fixtures against Walker Technology College and St Cuthbert’s High School.

Up first they played Walker Technology College on Thursday 9^th December which saw a very strong team performance, and goals from Aran M, Daniel P and two from Thomas L, providing us with a 4-1 victory.

Next, they faced St Cuthbert’s High School on Tuesday 15^th March, which would see the winner heading to the final. The game opened up immediately with an early goal from an Elliott B corner finding Thomas L in the box. The team played exceptionally well, soaking up the high pressure exerted from St Cuthbert’s. This pressure eventually took its toll and they equalised five minutes from the end of regular time. The game headed into extra time, ten minutes each way. The players again started the extra time with high levels of energy which was rewarded soon after. Elliott B was once more instrumental in this goal; an excellent free kick found its way to the feet of Noah M who scored inside the box. The team managed to hold off the pressure once again from St Cuthbert’s which saw the game finish 2-1.

After a thrilling match against St Cuthbert’s, the boys faced off against Gosforth Junior at McKendrick Villas on Tuesday 5^th April in the City Cup final. The team had previously played this school during our City League fixtures, with the game at that time finishing 1-1. Gosforth immediately piled on the pressure which remained high throughout the game. The RGS defence was excellent throughout the first half, with some important tackles from Noah M, Ross M and Thomas T which halted the attacks of Gosforth Junior.

The second half began in much the same way as the second, very high pressure from Gosforth Junior. Once again, the RGS defence was up to the task, with some outstanding saves from George P that kept the team well and truly in the game. As the second half drew to a close, the pressure was piled on Gosforth, finding gaps on the wing, but RGS were unlucky not to capitalise on these opportunities. After 60 minutes, the game finished 0-0, leading into extra time. 

A strong extra time performance saw the team reverse the pressure, as they began to test test the Gosfroth defence and goalkeeper. Unfortunately, an excellent shot from Thomas Thiele was saved and a last chance corner ended up over the crossbar. After extra time the game still remained goalless which led into penalties.

Thomas L, Thomas T, Josh W, Oliver A and Elliott B stepped up to take the five penalties. An early advantage was present following a successful penalty from Longworth and an outstanding save from George P. Both teams scored the next two penalties, with RGS leading 3-2 on penalties. RGS was unlucky not to score the deciding penalty, the crossbar standing in the way. A cool penalty from Butler, meant that all eyes were on Goalkeeper Ponton to save the penalty for us to be victorious. An excellent save from him allowed the penalties to finish 4-2, which saw the boys lift the Newcastle Schools City Cup for the first time. There were very strong individual performances throughout the competition, but more importantly the boys played together as a team, which ultimately ensured that they won the cup.

Squad List: George P, Ross M, Noah M, Thomas T, Joe N, Elliott B, Oliver A, Dan M, Aran M, Aaron N, Josh W, Thomas L, Harry N

Cricket

U15A Girls Indoor Cricket

Our U15A girls took part in an Indoor Cricket Competition at Walker Activity Dome on Thursday 17^th February, in which the winner would progress through to the County Cup Final.

They made up one of the five teams taking part in the competition which included the King Edward VI School, two teams from Ponteland High School and one other school. The team played four games in total, playing each of the other schools once. They played extremely well throughout the day.

Our first match against Ponteland High School A, in which we successfully won by one run, turned out to be the deciding game for the competition winners, which also ensured that we won the competition undefeated.

The girls all had strong individual performances across the day, but more importantly shared out responsibility, and put together some very strong team performances in each of the games. The determination of all the girls was shown through the dedication to stop runs throughout each of the games, even if this meant sliding into the barricades to save each run.

After strong performances in the previous round of the competition, the girls took part in the County Cup Finals on Wednesday 23^rd March at Walker Activity Dome.

They again made up one of the five teams taking part in the competition including Prudhoe Community High School, Ponteland High School, Dame Allan’s and Duchess’s Community High School. The team had a difficult start to the competition losing against Prudhoe in the first game, which was quickly put right through another thrilling game against Ponteland High School, in which they were again victorious by one run. The momentum was halted by a strong Dame Allan’s performance, but the competition finished on a high as we beat Duchess’s Community High School with a very strong individual batting performance. Saakshi S single-handedly won the game for us through the innings of the tournament, as she scored 55 runs not out which enabled us to chase down the score set by Duchess’s. We finished third overall in the tournament, which is an excellent achievement.

Squad List: Jules A, Flo E, Saakshi S, Gabriella O, Alice W, Elena B, Hannah C, Beth H, Hannah Z, Isobel H, Ava H

U13A Girls Indoor Cricket

Our U13A girls took part in an Indoor Cricket Competition at Walker Activity Dome on Friday 4^th March, which saw the winner progress to the County Cup Final.

We made up one of the five teams which included the King Edward VI School, Dame Allan’s and two teams from Gosforth Junior. We had very strong individual and team performances throughout the day.

Our final match of the day against Gosforth Junior A team was the deciding game, the winner would win the entire competition. A strong team bowling performance but us into a great position to win the game. Our batting began slowly, but an important innings from Emily F in which she scored 30 runs, allowed for victory. She managed to score the winning runs off the final ball of the game to ensure that we won the competition undefeated. All girls played exceptionally well throughout the day and should be proud of their achievements.

Following our success in the first round of the competition, the girls played in the County Cup Finals on Wednesday 23^rd March at Walker Activity Dome.

We again made up one of the five teams which included Duchess’s Community High School, Ovingham Middle School, Ponteland High School and King’s Priory. We had a very strong start beating Duchess’s with a rock middle period of the day, losing to both Ovingham and Ponteland. This was quickly addressed with a strong final performance against King’s Priory.

Overall, the girls finished third in the competition. The girls once again had strong individual and team performances throughout the day with some excellent fielding from Seyona K and Disha K. Most impressive was the fact that the girls share responsibility evenly which saw everybody have the chance to participate in all parts of the game.

Squad List: Anika K, Seyona K, Emily F, Riya M, Twisha D, Anya J, Amelie T, Tess P, Taylor M, Disha K

Gymnastics

Gymnasts crowned GB champions at national finals

Our gymnasts enjoyed multiple triumphs at the British School Gymnastics Finals Floor, Vault & Trio national finals where they were crowned U11 Boys GB Champions, U16 Boys GB Champions and U19 Boys GB Champions.

The U11 Girls placed 4^th overall while the U16 girls also performed very well in their category.  

Participating against teams from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales at the Fenton Manor Sport Complex in Stoke-on-Trent, the talented athletes completed two vaults, one floor sequence and a group sequence where they perform together.

All of the gymnasts performed to their highest level, with Angus R (Year 9) scoring a perfect score of 16 out of 16 on vault.

Speaking about their fantastic achievements, Gymnastics Coach, Mr Roddy Mackay, said: "I am very proud of all that the gymnasts have achieved, it’s such a long route to success and a small error from one gymnast can move a team from first place to fourth.

"It is a true team sport where the gymnasts must support each other, focusing on strengths and weakness to achieve a championship winning performance. For Angus to achieve a perfect score on vault is once again a testament to the focus that the gymnasts have. Yes, this is an amazing achievement for him but one which is supported by his teammates.  They watch each other, they give feedback and support during performances which enables these kinds of results."

The students, who train three times a week for two hours at a time, have been working towards earning national accolades since they were in Year 3 when they were selected from a group of students attending the school gym clubs.

Mr Mackay added: “I am so proud of what all the students have achieved, it takes more than three years of training to win at this level.

"As a coach and teacher, I have only achieved this once before and this was with a school who at the time provided gymnastics scholarships."

Henry springs his way into National Squad

Year 8 gymnast, Henry B, has been selected for the GBR Junior squad 2022.

Henry, who began recreational gymnastics at Deerness Gymnastic Academy, aged eight, was initially taught acrobatic gymnastics and thoroughly enjoyed learning lots of new skills and attending regular training sessions.

Having always wanted to experience Tumbling - sometimes referred to as Power Tumbling - Henry instantly became passionate about this element of gymnastics, and in order to fully focus and commit to this discipline, reluctantly had to cease acrobatic gymnastics.

Tumbling is a gymnastic discipline in which participants perform a series of acrobatic skills down a 25metre (82ft) long sprung track. Each series, known as a pass, comprises eight elements in which the athlete jumps, summersaults, twists, transitions and flips placing their hands and feet on the track.

Henry very quickly developed his Tumbling and started training at Durham City Gymnastics, a gymnastics specific complex situated in Sherburn, Durham City. His two coaches, Dan Lannigan and Glen Wharton, have both been very successful in the sport. Dan - who has represented GBR in European and World Tumbling events - is Henry’s personal coach, who he trains with 5 five times a week, equating to about 18 hours. Glen Wharton, is one of the Great British Team National Coaches, who runs the club and also trains Henry weekly. Glen is one of a few coaches in the country who trains the Junior and Senior GBR Tumbling squad at Lilleshall, in Shropshire, where Team GB meet regularly for training camps.

A place on the national squad is testament to Henry’s hard work and training, which sees the 13-year-old attend Lilleshall for regular weekend residential training camps with the rest of the chosen members.

Henry - who started competing in Tumbling at a local level when he was nine and has won several competitions - was initially on a pathway in Tumbling where he started on the GBR Youth Development squad. This year, thanks to his successes in British competitions, he was selected to join the Junior GBR team.

In 2021, Henry competed in the British Championships in the 13-15 age group. He was the youngest competitor but did unbelievably well and was ranked 5th in the country. The top four boys went on to represent Team GB in Baku Azerbajan, in the World Championships. This year, Henry attended trials on the 26^th-27th March to enter the European Championships in Rimini in Italy at the end of May/ beginning of June, where he competed against boys as old as 16 who have a lot more experience than he does.

Henry also has two weekends of heats for the British championships in April and May, taking place in Telford, with the British Championship final in June 2022. The top four athletes in this category will then represent Great Britain in the World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria in November 2022.

Tumbling competitions consist of two rounds. The first of these is a qualifying round for all participants, and the second is the final round for the top eight participants. In the qualifying round, every participant performs two passes. In the final round, individual competitors perform an additional two passes. Tumbling passes are based on execution and difficulty. Scores are determined by a panel of judges. There are two judges who are responsible for the difficulty score, five for the execution score and one who oversees the panel and handles miscellaneous and contested issues regarding judging.

Henry - who loves all sports and not only enjoys the rigorous training that is expected of him in his gymnastics, but also enjoys running, rugby, football, cricket, and hockey - has to ensure he remains very organised in order to balance his schoolwork and being a national athlete. However, he is very motivated and tries to remain positive and enthusiastic at all times, constantly striving to reach his goals and targets set by his coaches.

Cross Country

Double County selection success for runner Kate

Kate S represented the North East Counties at the United Kingdom Inter Counties Cross Country Championships.

The runner, who is in Upper Sixth, competed in the Under 20 Women’s category at the prestigious event which saw the best runners in the UK contending at Prestwold Hall, Loughborough.

Kate was one of 280 runners entered in the Under 20 Women’s category representing 44 regions and including teams from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Sixth Former, who runs for Tynedale Harriers competing in the Start Fitness North East Harrier League, was also selected to represent Northumberland Schools at the ESAA Cross Country Championships at Hop Farm in Kent.

Speaking about her double selection, Kate, said: "After all the disruption to competitive sport over the last two years. I am delighted to have been selected for both events. It gives me the chance to compete against the best runners in the country."

As part of the selection process for the UK Inter Counties Under 20 Women, Kate took part in two qualifying events. The first event - the North East Counties Championships - took place at Sedgfield in December 2021 where Kate was placed 8th. The final selection process took place at the Northern Counties Cross Country Championships held in Pontefract this January. This competition is open to runners from across the North of England - Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Yorkshire, Cumbria, Northumberland, Durham and Cleveland. Kate finished 41^st overall and fifth fastest North East Counties (which comprises Northumberland, Cleveland and Durham) runner which secured her a position on the team.

It is the second time Kate has qualified for the UK Cross Country Championships having last competed in the 2020 championships where she was placed 132nd out of 270 runners, helping the North East to 12th place overall (out of 45 teams). Kate’s main running event is the 800m at which she was ranked 22 in the U17 Ladies in England in 2020 (29th in the UK) and for which she has qualified for the English National Championships on two previous occasions.

HMC X country success

A huge congratulations to all of our runners who took part in the HMC X-Country event at Barlborough Hall. Although running is an individual event, their desire to finish as high up as possible meant we had some really pleasing team performances.

Our U9 boys, U10 boys and U11 girls won the team event which is an incredible achievement as over 10 schools competed in each race.

A huge congratulations to Yannick H who finished first in the U9 boys race. 

 

Athletics

Oscar breaks records as he enjoys athletics success

Year 7 athlete, Oscar B, has enjoyed several successes since the turn of the year including beating three of all-time records for his age group at the Blyth Indoor Sportshall Series.

Prior to this, Oscar competed in his first Northern Athletics U13 Championships at Sheffield EIS and came 4th in the Shot put, 5th in Long jump and 10th in the 60m Sprint.

He then competed in the North East Counties Indoor Championships where he came 1st in both the U13s Long jump and 60m hurdles, 3rd in Shot put and 4th in 60m Sprint.

 

Badminton

U16A Boys Badminton

Our U16A boys participated in a Badminton competition at Tyneside Badminton Centre on Monday 4^th April.

We made up one of the five teams which included teams from St Mary’s, Dame Allan’s, Jesmond Park Academy and St Cuthbert’s High School. The matches were completed by two single games and three doubles, with the best of five being the winner.

We had very strong performances across the day in which we only lost two games to Dame Allan’s. The boys were successful against each of the other schools and won the competition undefeated across their matches. This victory has enabled the boys to compete in the next round of the competition.

Special mention goes to Xeuhan Z who was extremely humble and supportive of all his opponents throughout the day. He also never conceded more than double figures in any of his singles matches, an excellent achievement.

Squad List: Xuehan Z, Daniel R, Roshan G, Tanish K, Jake M

U16A Girls Badminton

Our U16A girls participated in a Badminton competition at Tyneside Badminton Centre on Wednesday 6^th April.

The team made up one of the five teams which included two teams from Newcastle High School for Girls, Jesmond Park Academy and Dame Allan’s. The matches were completed by two single games and three doubles, with the best of five being the winner.

They only lost two games throughout the entire day and won the competition undefeated overall. This has allowed the girls to progress to the next round of the competition.

All the girls played exceptionally well throughout the day with respect and support shown to all their opposition.

Squad List: Hannah Z, Chalida P, Emma A, Amy Z

 

Swimming 

Both boys and girls have qualified for the finals of the ESSA Primary Swimming Championships, which take place in Sheffield in June, following a qualifying heat in Huddersfield at the end of March.

The boys finished their heats in 1^st place in the medley relay and were 2^nd in the freestyle relay.

The girls won the freestyle relay and came 2^nd in the medley.

We look forward to travelling down to Sheffield to represent the north-east and Yorkshire division.