News from the courts, pitches and cross country track
Mr Hanley's Happenings
Head of Boys' Sport
The first half of this term has whistled by, seeing the completion of the rugby season and the beginning of the hockey season, albeit with a slight overlap! After half term we look forward to the majority of our hockey matches and some rugby sevens events for some of the senior boys.
Rugby continues to be one of the more complex sports at prep school with the rise in the desire for non-contact rugby plus the difficulty in putting out teams with the 'correct' number of players. Fortunately our opposition share our desire to get the kids playing so the flexibility in rules and playing numbers on our school circuit has ensured lots of rugby for all! The last few weeks has seen in excess of 60 rugby matches played across all year groups. The results haven't all gone our way but that is an important part of the children's development. We have won a little over 60% of our fixtures this term but perhaps more importantly, all age groups have been a part of some hugely competitive matches.
I wanted to mention three highlights of the term for me. First of all, the success of the U11A team at the Pelican Cup at Brighton College, finishing 3rd out of 14 schools. A great day of rugby by the boys. Next, we hosted a rugby festival for the U8s and U9s involving Brighton College and Farlington. We had over 120 boys all playing rugby at the same time and it was a joy to witness. My final highlight is about the values of sportsmanship and attitude. We had a guest referee from Brighton College for our U12A rugby game. Our U12As are a talented team, but the thing that stood out on the day was their respect, sportsmanship and attitude throughout. The member of staff from Brighton gave such glowing feedback on the boys. I'm glad to highlight these values in sport, as each game is so much more than the final score. Well done to everyone involved and hopefully you continue to set an excellent example.
The sporting season often culminates with our inter-patrol events. Last Saturday, over 100 boys took to the fields for a fiercely contested competition that was run slightly differently to normal. I hope those that were there enjoyed the afternoon and enjoyed the opportunity to see the progression of Year 5-8 rugby. We are yet to complete the Junior inter-patrol rugby so I'm afraid, for now, the results as they stand will remain a secret. What I can say is that in one of the events, we had to go past points, past tries scored and onto tries conceded to decide the winners!
Following the inter-patrol events, we gave out Department Awards for rugby and some further colours to our Year 8 pupils:
Congratulations to Oliver O and Teddy G for receiving their colours for rugby.
Congratulations to the following boys for being awarded a Department Award for rugby:
Mrs Cook's Account
Head of Girls' Sport
This season has been a whirlwind of activity for our girls' sports teams! With 41 fixtures, 13 tournaments, 9 inter-patrol competitions, and 1 IAPS event, the girls have truly dedicated themselves to their sports.
The U13 IAPS netball team had a slow start in the regional rounds but quickly found their rhythm. Although they missed qualifying for the finals, they dominated the plate competition. With impressive shooting from Darcey and Arabella, the team won every game comfortably, defeating Castle Court, St Andrews Berkshire, and Hazelwood to take home the 1st place plate medals. This team's growth throughout the season is commendable, and their victory was well-deserved. Congratulations to the entire team: Arabella B (captain), Hetty B, Hazel B, Cynthia J, Ammie K, Darcey K, Margie N, Lily-Rose N, Vivien O'S, and Amara S.
Congratulations to Arabella B, Darcey K, Ammie K and Hetty B who were awarded their netball colours.
The U11C team also deserves recognition for winning the Westbourne House U11C tournament. After an afternoon of closely-fought matches against a number of other schools the girls narrowly secured the win and took home the 1st place medals. The U10 teams have shown remarkable progress and have achieved impressive results. We look forward to seeing their continued success in the upcoming football season.
The junior teams have worked hard in hockey, demonstrating teamwork and sportsmanship in the face of challenges. We are optimistic about their performance in the upcoming football and cricket seasons.
In the inter-patrol competitions, the girls displayed maturity and dedication to their teams, often playing out of position to support their patrol. Panthers emerged as the overall winners in the senior inter-patrol netball competition with the Owls, Tigers, and Otters following closely behind. The girls' sportsmanship and sense of humor shone through, even during a lighthearted "prank quarter" in the final match.
With the football season approaching, more IAPS events on the horizon, the excitement is far from over. We anticipate a successful and enjoyable remainder of the term, with the hope of sunny weather after the Easter break.
Thank you, girls, for a fantastic half-term of sports!
Highfield Cross Country
A highly competitive cross country event. Our Westbourne pupils rose to the challenge and produced their best.
Each race had over 70 competitors from 20 different schools.
Well done to the U11 boys who came third in the team event and there were top 10 finishes for Amber E (U9), Otis (U10) and Jamie S (U11).
