Pupils Shine on the Pitch: Rugby and Hockey Highlights

Tuesday 23rd September U8 Rugby Festival at Winterfold 

A beautiful autumnal afternoon saw the year 3 boys head over to Winterfold for their first competitive experience of tag rugby against other schools. We played matches against Hawford, The Grange and the hosts. In the first game we started well, scoring a couple of nice individual tries, using pace and evasive running. Theo’s was probably the pick of the bunch. What was really pleasing to see was the improvement across the afternoon, as we started to support the ball carrier and look for quick offloads, which led to a number of team tries. One such piece of play resulted in Geoffrey scoring in the corner. Everyone played their part, but special mention must also go to Wilf, who made the defensive play of the day, showing excellent determination to chase back and make a diving tag. All in all, an excellent start to the year for the Year 3 boys. 

 U9/8 Hockey v MSJ and The Elms 

The U8/9 girls hockey team put on a fantastic display on Tuesday, finishing the fixture unbeaten! The first two matches were a brilliant showcase of attacking hockey, with the girls dominating possession and scoring plenty of goals. They worked well as a team, making good passes and strong dribbling which led to some great hockey. The final game proved to be the most dramatic. It was end-to-end hockey with chances for both sides, and the girls showed real determination to stay ahead. Unfortunately, in the very last minute, the opposition grabbed an equaliser, leaving the match tied at 4-4. But nevertheless this was a great match to watch and I’m sure the girls had fun playing in it! 

The girls should be incredibly proud of their efforts with three exciting games, lots of goals, and unbeaten on the day. Their teamwork, energy, and commitment to each other on the pitch were amazing. A brilliant day of hockey and a performance that shows just how much they are improving! 

 Wednesday 24th September U11 Rugby Festival at Millfield 

The team made the long journey down the M5 to take part in the Millfield Invitational Prep Rugby Festival – another valuable opportunity for King’s St Albans and King’s Hawford to combine and gain more game time together. Following some encouraging performances last week, the focus this time was on pressing up quicker in defence and adding more depth in attack. 

The boys made a superb start against Millfield Prep. Jack cut a brilliant line to score the opening try, setting the tone for the game. Soon after, excellent team play created space for Charles to finish strongly in the corner. Further tries came from Adam, Sam, Hugo and Harry as the team continued to control the game. In the end, the boys secured a convincing 8–0 win with a performance full of energy and teamwork against a well-renowned rugby school. 

The second fixture, against Kingswood, proved a much tougher contest. Kingswood’s organisation and physicality saw them take an early 2–0 lead. However, Adam’s pace and strength brought King’s back into the game with a well-deserved try in the corner. The match was fiercely contested, with both sides displaying excellent rugby. Hugo linked up well with his teammates to power over for another try, but despite several good chances, the boys were unable to capitalise and narrowly lost to a strong Kingswood side. 

The B team faced Millfield and Kingswood in two lively fixtures. As the afternoon progressed, the players grew in confidence and produced some impressive passages of play, scoring several tries through determined individual runs. While there is still room for improvement in tackle technique and rucking, the team’s spirit and effort shone through. Joshua and Pip were particularly energetic, getting stuck in and making the most of their day at Millfield. 

Overall, it was another positive outing with plenty of progress shown. The boys demonstrated great teamwork, resilience, and attacking flair, while also identifying areas to sharpen ahead of future fixtures 

U11/10 v RGS and The Elms Mr Khan 

The U11/10 had a great day out at the Elms where they played a triangular tournament. In the first match, the girls came out strong and secured a 1-0 win against RGS. It was brilliant to see them putting into practice everything we have been working on in games lessons: using the space well, timing their tackles, and linking up as a team. With the goal being a great team goal leading to a very impressive win! 

The second match was a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the Elms. The girls created plenty of chances and worked tirelessly from start to finish, showing real determination and resilience against strong opposition who were a few players short so had some year 7s in there team!  

A huge thank you to all the girls for embracing the challenge of playing in different positions and giving 100% every time they stepped onto the pitch. The ability to adapt, support each other, and keep the energy high made for a brilliant afternoon of hockey. Well done, you should all feel very proud of how you played and the results!! 

 

U11/10 v RGS and The Elms – Miss Jordan 

The U11/U10 team faced two tough fixtures this week, showing great perseverance and team spirit throughout. Their first match was against RGS, where the girls worked hard across the pitch but were narrowly defeated 2-0. Despite the result, there were moments of excellent play and strong defensive effort. The second match, against The Elms, was a more challenging encounter, ending in a 6-0 loss. However, the team never gave up and continued to support each other with positivity and determination. Savannah was outstanding in goal, making a series of superb saves across both matches, her natural talent as a goalkeeper was clear to see and earned her Player of the Match against RGS. Against The Elms, Kasvika stood out with her strong defensive play and calm composure under pressure, earning her Player of the Match. The team should be proud of their resilience and look forward to future improvements.