A Week of Hockey and Rugby Action

Tuesday 3rd November 

U8 Rugby v RGS 

The U8 boys continued to show significant improvement in both their rugby knowledge and understanding of the game during Tuesday’s fixtures against RGS. 

It was a fantastic opportunity to join up with King’s Hawford and play across three fixtures, giving the boys plenty of valuable game time and the chance to put their skills into practice. There were some impressive tries scored across the games, with lots of exciting attacking play and great examples of teamwork. 

I’m incredibly proud of the progress the boys are making and the way they continue to develop their confidence and understanding of rugby. 

Well done to all of our Year 3 boys! 

U9/U8 Hockey Tournament at The Grange

It was fantastic to be back on the pitch after half term, and the U9 and U8 girls represented the school brilliantly throughout the tournament at The Grange. The combined squad worked exceptionally well together, showing great teamwork, communication and encouragement from start to finish.

A key focus in our recent training sessions has been moving the ball earlier and reacting quickly when opposition players attempt to win possession. It was pleasing to see the girls putting these skills into practice during competitive matches. Their passing improved as the day progressed, allowing them to maintain possession and create attacking opportunities.

Defensively, there were some outstanding individual performances. Chloe was excellent at the back, making a number of crucial tackles and clearances under pressure. From an attacking perspective, one of the highlights of the tournament was Molly’s execution of a peel round, a skill we have been working hard on in training. The curved run into wide space protects the ball, creates time for the player in possession and provides options to pass to a teammate on the open stick. It was incredibly rewarding to see Molly perform this so effectively in a competitive match situation.

Throughout the tournament, the girls showed tenacity, scored some excellent goals and worked tirelessly for one another. They should be very proud of their efforts and the progress they continue to make as players.

U9/U8 Hockey Tournament at The Grange

What a fantastic effort from our U8/U9 team at this week’s hockey tournament. 

The team showed great enthusiasm, determination, and teamwork throughout the tournament. There was plenty of hard work, great passing and some excellent play in both attack and defence.

 Elodie finished the tournament with an impressive 3 goals whilst Bea also added 2 goals to the tally. Both players had a fantastic tournament in front of goal!

It was lovely to see the players supporting one another, growing in confidence, and putting into practice everything they have been working on in training.

 

Wednesday 4th November 

U10 Rugby v The Downs and King’s Hawford 

It was a fantastic afternoon of rugby featuring two competitive matches against The Downs and King’s Hawford, with a brilliant squad of 16 boys taking part across the fixtures. Both games were packed with energy and determination from start to finish. Dylan J and Hugo F were fantastic in defence, putting in relentless shifts to shut down opposition attacks with great tackling and rucking. On the attack, Charlie Ward proved a real powerhouse going forward, well supported by Joe U who made several strong, hard-running carries to gain crucial ground. Milan C provided a standout highlight with a brilliant solo try, using superb footwork and speed to weave his way through the defence. Across the afternoon, the MOTM award went to Finley M for his best game of the season, capping off an all-round stellar performance with top-tier effort in both attack and defence. Well done to all 16 boys for representing the team so brilliantly! 

 

U11 boys vs. The Downs & Hawford

On Wednesday, the KSA P.E. team took all of the Year 5 and 6 boys across to the other side of the Malvern Hills to play two rugby matches against a team from The Downs and King’s Hawford. 

With 16 boys eager to get back on the pitch following the half-term break, it was always going to be a challenge to ensure that everyone benefited from some valuable match time, without disrupting the fluency of the games. However, the boys rose to the occasion brilliantly, producing arguably their best all-round team performances of the term so far and putting in two very respectable displays against some strong opposition. 

The opening match against The Downs got off to the worst possible start though, as despite having been reminded about the importance of not allowing the ball to bounce from the kick-off, the boys watched on as the ball bounced straight into the path of an advancing Downs player, who promptly ran through to score. Fortunately, this early setback did little to dampen the KSA boys’ enthusiasm, and they soon responded with a try of their own to bring the scores level. Both teams continued to trade tries in what proved to be a highly competitive encounter, with three further tries shared between them before the final whistle brought an entertaining 4-4 draw. Throughout the match, the boys demonstrated tremendous passion, determination, resilience and composure against some very good opposition. 

Next up was a fixture against King’s Hawford, and following a disappointing performance against them before half term, the KSA boys were determined to put things right against their friends and counterparts from Hawford. Once again, with plenty of players to accommodate, the team needed to work together and make the most of their opportunities. Those who started the match certainly set the standard, putting in an excellent shift and getting KSA off to a flying start. Following some excellent team play involving Oscar, Monty and Jack C, the boys crossed the try line to take an early lead. Hawford responded with a try of their own, leaving the match finely balanced at half-time. 

With fresh legs introduced for the second half, the KSA team were reinvigorated and raring to go. Both teams continued to demonstrate impressive determination in defence, with some excellent attacking runs and strong tackles on display. Hawford managed to edge ahead with another try, but the KSA boys refused to give up. With just a couple of minutes remaining, the ball found its way to Dylan, who showed great strength and determination to break through a couple of tackles before powering over in the corner to bring the scores level once again. Despite both teams continuing to battle hard until the final whistle, neither could find a decisive winning try, and the match finished in another thoroughly deserved draw. 

Although the emphasis throughout both fixtures was firmly on performance, rather than the scoreline, the boys and KSA staff were pleased to come away with two encouraging all-round team performances. More importantly, every player had the opportunity to contribute, challenge themselves and gain valuable match experience, taking away plenty of lessons that will undoubtedly benefit them as the season progresses. 

Well done to all 16 boys who represented KSA: Bertie, Daniel, Dylan, Eli, George, Haadi, Harvey, Jack C, Jack J, Matthew, Max C, Max M, Monty, Oscar, Rudy and Theo. Every one of them played their part in raising their own performance for these matches, supporting their teammates and demonstrating the effort, determination and resilience that made these fixtures both enjoyable and successful. 

Finally, a big thank you to all the parents and relatives who came along to support and cheer on the team. Your encouragement, as always, is very much appreciated! 

U11 Three Choirs Hockey Tournament

It was fantastic to take part in the first fixture of our Three Choirs competition. I described the occasion to the girls as being a little like playing against our cousins. Of course, there is always a competitive element, but the schools share strong friendships and it is an opportunity to enjoy hockey together while representing our schools with pride.

Although it had been a little while since the IAPS tournament and the half-term break had provided plenty of opportunities for rest, treats and celebrations, the girls returned full of energy and enthusiasm. It was clear they had missed playing together and were eager to get back on the pitch. What impressed me most was how well they remembered and applied the skills and concepts we had worked on at the IAPS tournament.

There were some excellent individual performances throughout the afternoon. Maddie was particularly effective in defence, making some outstanding clearances from the 16-yard area during our match against Hereford. Her ability to move the ball away from danger quickly allowed our attackers to pick up possession much higher up the pitch and launch attacks from promising positions.

Lillianna also had an excellent tournament and scored several well-deserved goals. Her standout moment came against Hereford when she collected the ball deep in our defensive area, drove confidently up the pitch, beat three players and calmly finished past the goalkeeper.

We thoroughly enjoyed our matches, particularly our game against King’s Hawford. As always, it was wonderful to see the girls enjoying the friendly competition, while also imagining what an exciting combined team they will make next year. It is a privilege to spend time with this group and witness their continued development, both as hockey players and as young people. Well done, girls.