A Fantastic Week of Sport

It has been another action-packed week of sport at King’s St Alban’s, with our pupils showing outstanding determination, teamwork and sportsmanship across cross country, hockey, rugby and swimming. From impressive individual achievements to fantastic team performances, there has been plenty to celebrate!

Monday 5th October 

U11/10 Cross Country at Winterfold 

On Monday, our pupils took part in their first cross country event of the year. It certainly wasn’t the typical cross country weather we might expect, with the sun shining and temperatures feeling particularly warm! Despite the heat, our pupils arrived slightly nervous but excited and ready to put in their very best efforts. 

As always, before we set off, I reminded the children on the bus that the only thing I ever ask of them is to give their absolute best, enjoy the experience and be proud of their effort. We then walked the course together, giving everyone the opportunity to see what lay ahead. 

The course proved to be a challenging one, with a long distance to cover and plenty of steep gradients to test the runners. However, our pupils showed fantastic determination, resilience and sportsmanship throughout the race. 

A huge well done to all of our runners: 

Dylan M 

Eli G 

Harvey M 

Dylan J 

Charlie W 

Max C 

Theo B-D 

Bertie W 

Elodie H 

Amber C 

Tiegan W 

Imogen B 

Ugne A 

Olivia E 

A very special mention must go to Amber C, who ran an absolutely fantastic race to finish 3rd overall. This was an outstanding individual achievement and a brilliant performance on such a demanding course. 

There was also a fantastic team achievement from our girls. Our top four KSA girl runners — Amber (3rd), Elodie (10th), Imogen (23rd) and Tiegan (25th) — combined to secure 3rd place overall for KSA. 

This was a fantastic achievement and something the girls should be extremely proud of. 

Well done to every pupil who took part. Whether it was a personal best, a first cross country experience or simply completing a tough course, every runner gave their best and represented KSA brilliantly. We couldn’t be prouder of you all! 

 

Tuesday 6th October 

U8 Rugby Festival at King’s Hawford 

The Year 3 pupils enjoyed a successful and rewarding afternoon at a tag rugby festival, competing against King’s Hawford, The Grange and Winterfold. Throughout the day, the team showed clear improvement in their teamwork, communication and understanding of the game. 

Charlie impressed with his accurate passing, helping to move the ball effectively across the pitch. Matty and Yipeng continued the strong form they showed last week, using their evasive running skills well in attack while also working hard to chase back and make important tags in defence. Felix P once again demonstrated outstanding support play, consistently putting himself in the right positions to help teammates. The highlight of the afternoon came from Baxter, who produced a superb length-of-the-field try after some excellent team play. 

There was plenty of learning throughout the festival, and the boys can be very pleased with another successful afternoon of rugby. 

U8 Rugby Festival at King’s Hawford 

It was a fantastic afternoon of rugby as our Year 3 team showcased incredible spirit, skill, and sportsmanship during a brilliant tournament against King’s Hawford, RGS The Grange, and Winterfold. 

Facing high-caliber opposition across all three fixtures, the boys stepped up to the challenge with boundless energy. In attack, Theo B and Barney M were electric, showing fantastic pace, sharp footwork, and great spatial awareness to carve through defensive lines and drive the team forward. 

At the breakdown and in transition, Adam R and Morgan V worked tirelessly, demonstrating outstanding vision and crisp passing to keep the play flowing smoothly. Their relentless work rate off the ball and disciplined tagging ensured the team maintained pressure on the opposition throughout every single match. 

Overall, it was a superb collective effort filled with determination, great teamwork, and constant encouragement on the pitch. The boys represented the school with pride and showed clear progress with every game played. It was a performance to be hugely proud of. 

U8/9 Hockey at Winterfold 

The U9/U8 girls continued their fantastic progress with another excellent hockey performance, showing just how much they have improved since the start of the season. There were far more opportunities on the ball, with every player looking confident in possession and eager to get involved in the game. Their stick work was outstanding throughout, and it was particularly pleasing to hear the constant communication and encouragement between teammates. 

The team worked tirelessly across the pitch, creating numerous attacking chances and scoring a fair few well-deserved goals. What stood out most was the girls’ willingness to support one another and work as a unit. Their movement into space and determination to win the ball back demonstrated the immense progress they have made in a short period of time. 

A special well done to Molly, Lakshmi, Bea, Fearne, Holly and Alice F, who all had fantastic games and contributed greatly to the team’s success. Whether attacking, defending or playing in midfield, they showed great understanding and enthusiasm. The girls also did a brilliant job of adapting to different roles, with everyone having the opportunity to play in all positions. Their flexibility, teamwork and positive attitude were excellent, and they should all be incredibly proud of their performance. 

 

U8/9 Hockey at Winterfold 

The Winterfold 4-a-side hockey tournament was a real goal fest and, without doubt, the best hockey this team has played all season. From the first whistle, the girls were fast on the ball, attacking with confidence and creating chance after chance. Their passing was sharp, they cleared the ball wide brilliantly under pressure, and most importantly, they worked together as a team throughout the tournament. 

There were some fantastic individual performances in front of goal. Livi celebrated a memorable milestone by scoring her first two goals for KSA with her awesome new stick! Alice also found the back of the goal twice, with Grace also adding two excellent goals to the total, whilst Chloe was unstoppable, scoring a superb hat-trick. Meanwhile, Arla was brave and dynamic in defence and cleared the ball hard and wide to Elodie who, confidently, dribbled the ball up the wing to ensure the ball was out of the danger zone. Every player contributed to the team’s success with energy, determination and excellent teamwork. 

It was wonderful to see the girls playing with such confidence and enjoyment. The improvement in their game was clear for everyone to see, and they should be incredibly proud of their performance. Well done, girls 

 

U8/9 Hockey at Winterfold 

What a fantastic day of hockey at Winterfold! The girls produced their most accomplished hockey performance yet, with their confidence really shining through. 

 

There were goals galore, with some excellent finishes from Grace, Immy and Alice. The girls showed fabulous game awareness and positioning, particularly in and around the D, where they created plenty of scoring opportunities. The assists from Molly and Florence were fantastic, demonstrating great vision and teamwork to set up their teammates. Izzy provided fantastic support on the sidelines, helping the team throughout the festival.

 

The girls attacked with confidence and showed real determination in defence, never giving up on a ball. Their hard work and excellent positioning resulted in several game-winning performances, including some brilliant clean sheets.

It was wonderful to see the girls playing with such confidence, skill and teamwork. A fantastic festival and a great demonstration of how much they are continuing to develop.

U10 and U11 Swimming Gala at Warwick 

On Tuesday, our swimming team travelled to Warwick to take part in the Warwick 25s, our first swimming gala of the year. 

This is always a highly competitive event, with a number of large and well-established swimming schools entering. Despite the strength of the competition, our swimmers more than held their own, producing some fantastic performances throughout the gala. 

There were some particularly strong results in the individual events, with several pupils achieving podium finishes. In the Under 10 Girls, Tiegan finished 4th in the 25m Butterfly and 100m Individual Medley, while Hibah recorded 4th place in the 25m Backstroke and 5th in the 25m Freestyle. Maddie P also finished 5th in the 25m Breaststroke. 

The Under 10 Boys produced some impressive results, with Geoffey finishing 2nd in the 25m Butterfly and 3rd in the 100m Individual Medley. Gabe took 4th place in the 25m Backstroke, while Ben W and Charlie both finished 5th in their respective events. 

The Under 11 Girls enjoyed an especially successful set of individual events. Elodie finished 2nd in the 25m Butterfly, Maddie E was 3rd in the 25m Backstroke and Poppy finished 4th in the 25m Breaststroke. Lilliana produced two excellent swims, finishing 2nd in the 25m Freestyle before going on to win the 100m Individual Medley. 

The Under 11 Boys also performed strongly, with Harvey finishing 3rd in the 25m Butterfly and 2nd in the 25m Breaststroke. Dylan took 4th place in the 25m Backstroke, while Bertie enjoyed an excellent gala, finishing 2nd in both the 25m Freestyle and 100m Individual Medley. 

The relay events provided plenty of excitement, with the Prep School teams consistently competing towards the front of their races. In the 4 x 25m Medley Relays, the U10 Girls finished 5th, while the U10 Boys, U11 Girls and U11 Boys all secured 3rd-place finishes. In the 4 x 25m Freestyle Relays, the U10 Girls again finished 5th, the U10 Boys took 4th, and both the U11 Girls and U11 Boys finished 3rd. 

Well done to all of our swimmers for their enthusiasm, determination and excellent performances throughout the gala. It was particularly pleasing to see so many pupils producing strong individual swims while also working so well together as relay teams.  

There were some excellent individual swims, with every member of the team showing great determination, commitment and team spirit. It was fantastic to see our swimmers competing with confidence and giving their very best in every race. 

A special shout-out goes to Lillianna, who produced a fantastic swim to win the 100m Individual Medley. It was a brilliant race and a fantastic achievement against a very strong field. 

The team’s performances across the day saw us finish in an impressive 3rd place overall, finishing behind Warwick and Blue Coat Birmingham. This was a fantastic result considering the strength of the schools competing and is a great way to start our swimming season. 

A huge well done to all of our swimmers for representing the school so brilliantly at our first gala of the year. 

There are plenty more exciting swimming opportunities to come throughout the year, and we are already looking forward to seeing what this team can achieve! 

Well done, team — a fantastic start to the swimming season! 

Wednesday 7th October  

U10 Rugby v King’s Hawford 

Going into the game, alongside our usual team targets, I also set each player some individual targets to focus on. It was fantastic to see the boys take these on board and put them into practice throughout the match. 

From the very start, we were extremely strong. The first half was a complete team performance, with some excellent attacking rugby leading to lots of well-worked tries. The boys showed great understanding, support play and determination when we had the ball, creating plenty of opportunities and making the most of them. 

However, what was perhaps even more impressive was our defensive performance. The boys worked incredibly hard without the ball, making some big tackles and showing real strength and determination at the breakdown. We were relentless in defence and refused to let our opponents find a way through for the entire half. 

There were some fantastic individual performances too. Hugo was excellent at the breakdown, showing great strength and determination. Charlie was a constant threat with the ball in hand, making some really strong runs and putting the opposition under pressure. 

A special mention must go to Dylan J, who produced what could well be the tackle of the term so far! With a try seemingly on the cards, Dylan produced a fantastic try-saving tackle to drive the opponent into touch. It was an outstanding piece of defensive play and showed exactly the determination and commitment we want to see from our players. 

Overall, this was a complete performance from all of the boys. Every player contributed, worked hard and showed great teamwork, while also demonstrating the individual targets and skills we have been developing. 

A huge well done to all of the boys — a fantastic performance and one that they should be extremely proud of! 

U11 Rugby v King’s Hawford 

The Year 5 and 6 boys made the short trip to King’s Hawford on Wednesday afternoon to play three shortened development games against their friends and counterparts in Year 6 at Hawford. With King’s St. Alban’s taking 15 players and King’s Hawford only fielding 7, the Directors of Sport from both schools decided that three 15-minute games would provide the best opportunity for all of the KSA boys to experience some valuable contact rugby. 

Rather than selecting an A and B team, KSA therefore fielded two parallel teams of similar ability. Team 1 played King’s Hawford in the opening game and, despite producing a well-worked team try, ultimately found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreline. Some rushed offloads and missed tackles gave Hawford opportunities that they were able to take advantage of. Team 2 experienced a similar outcome in the second game, although there were plenty of encouraging passages of play for the boys to build upon. 

Determined to show the spectators what they could do, the KSA boys made an excellent start to the final game. With a strong team of seven players on the pitch, some excellent team play created an opportunity for Dylan to score a well-taken try and give KSA the lead. The boys then defended resolutely, preventing Hawford from responding during the opening half of the game. 

With the aim of giving the remaining eight players some valuable game time, substitutions were then made. Inevitably, this disrupted some of the rhythm and composure that KSA had established, and the Hawford boys were able to take advantage by scoring their first try of the game. Although the result was not what the boys had hoped for, there was plenty for them to learn from the afternoon, particularly the importance of maintaining possession, making good decisions and working together consistently as a team. 

There was understandably some disappointment and frustration at the end of the games, but the boys will be keen to put this experience behind them and bounce back with a strong team performance when they take on Moor Park next week. 

Finally, a special thank you to all the parents and supporters who came along to cheer the boys on and provide their encouragement, regardless of the results. 

U10/11 Rugby v King’s Hawford 

The U11s put in a superb, high-energy performance in a hard-fought contest against a strong King’s Hawford side on Wednesday. 

From the opening whistle, the boys demonstrated brilliant teamwork and relentless work rate. George R and an Archie H set the pace early on, showing fantastic speed and sharp footwork on attack to push the opposition deep into their own half. In the middle of the pitch, Henry W and Magson C controlled the flow of play with impressive vision and crisp passing, creating space and linking up play seamlessly. 

When under pressure, the team’s defensive discipline was outstanding. Akshay V, Joe U, and Rudy W led from the front with wonderful defensive work whilst Milan C read the game brilliantly from deep, organizing the line and shutting down King’s Hawford’s attacking threats with total composure. 

Overall, it was a fantastic collective effort filled with grit, skill, and outstanding sportsmanship. The boys can be immensely proud of their performance! 

U10/11 Hockey v The Downs 

The U11 girls enjoyed a valuable fixture against The Downs as they continued their preparations for the IAPS tournament on Friday. With excitement building for the competition ahead, this match provided an excellent opportunity to refine skills and put training into practice. 

The team did an excellent job of maintaining their diamond shape in attack, creating plenty of space and passing options. This allowed Sophie to use her vision and pace to drive hard into the D and score a brilliant, dynamic goal. Elodie was outstanding in her ability to switch quickly between attack and defence, making powerful runs up the wing and creating dangerous shooting opportunities from both the penalty spot area and the post. Lilianna also scored a great goal, having worked hard for the ball, and continues to develop her awareness of teammates in space. 

Defensively, the girls were equally impressive. Savannah defended each short corner with confidence and composure, supported brilliantly by her teammates. Imogen made several crucial clearances, while Sophie courageously put herself on the line to prevent a goal. As always, Aria and Maddie showed tremendous bravery in their roles as flyer and chaser during short corners. Their determination and commitment in defence were exceptional, contributing to a superb team performance and another encouraging step towards Friday’s competition. Well done, girls! 

U10/11 Hockey v The Downs 

The U11/U10 B team faced a very strong Downs side this week and showed great determination and resilience throughout the match. The opposition applied constant pressure, but the girls worked tirelessly and should be proud of the way they battled from start to finish. Although defending was challenging at times, there were many positive moments as the team worked hard to limit further scoring opportunities against an extremely capable attacking side. 

A key area for development will be maintaining concentration when defending and ensuring we are always facing the ball as it moves down the pitch. By staying alert and organised, the girls will continue to grow in confidence and effectiveness at the back. 

A special congratulations goes to Tiegan, who was deservedly awarded Player of the Match. She worked tirelessly throughout, showing excellent effort, determination and commitment in every aspect of her game. Olivia also deserves special recognition for her relentless running and work rate, never giving up and continually supporting her teammates in both attack and defence. 

Well done also to Maddie in goal, who showed great courage and perseverance. Despite facing plenty of shots, she remained positive, made some important saves and never gave up. The girls showed tremendous spirit against tough opposition and will undoubtedly continue to improve with every match they play. 

 

U10/11 Hockey v The Downs 

Our hockey team enjoyed a well-spirited match against The Downs School. Every player had the opportunity to swap positions, giving everyone the chance to develop their skills in both attack and defence.

 Amber led the charge in attack, well supported by Ugne and Becky upfront, while India worked hard on the wing to create opportunities. In defence, Poppy continued to work hard, showing great determination and composure. A special congratulations to Vicky and Daisy, who were voted Players of the Game by the opposition. Vicky was recognised for her fantastic performance in defence, while Daisy impressed with her quick work on the wing.

The team showed great spirit and determination throughout the match. The girls learnt lots, and it was another valuable opportunity to develop our skills, confidence and teamwork.

U10/11 Hockey v The Downs 

On Wednesday, King’s St Alban’s travelled to Malvern to play The Downs, with the girls showing great energy and enthusiasm from the start. 

Emilia and Amber J were excellent on the wings, making some great runs forward and creating several good scoring opportunities. They came close on a number of occasions and were unlucky not to score. They also did a great job of tracking back to help out in defence when needed. 

Iris defended well throughout the game, making some crucial tackles and putting in some excellent hit-outs to help clear the ball from defence. Nell, Kate and Leen worked hard in midfield and helped move the ball forward, while Henrietta and Sofia also gave good support in defence. 

It was a really enjoyable game, with the girls showing lots of determination and teamwork. They were unlucky to concede two goals but kept going right until the final whistle. It was great to see their stick skills and tackling continuing to improve, with more confidence showing in both areas. Amber J was OPOM for her excellent work rate and determination.