Rugby & Hockey: A Week of Action

Tuesday 22nd September  

U8 Rugby Festival at Winterfold 

The U8/9 boys enjoyed their first tag rugby festival of the year on Tuesday, with plenty of enthusiasm and excellent effort on display throughout the afternoon. For several pupils, this was their first ever rugby festival, making it a valuable and enjoyable experience. Theo and Charlie combined particularly well, demonstrating strong link play and teamwork, while Matty and Yipeng impressed with their pace, agility and evasive running skills. Edward and Xander celebrated scoring their first tries, a fantastic achievement that reflected their growing confidence and understanding of the game. There were many examples of positive play across the squad, alongside lots of important learning opportunities. The boys represented the school well and gained valuable experience that will help them continue to develop throughout the season. 

U8 Rugby Festival at Winterfold 

The U8 boys played in their first ever competitive tag rugby festival at Winterfold on Tuesday. There was plenty of excitement, along with a few understandable nerves, as the boys took to the pitch for the first time in a competitive setting. 

We started the afternoon against Winterfold and got off to a positive start, with Felix, Adam and Baxter all getting on the try sheet. It was a really competitive game and, as the boys settled into the afternoon, our play with the ball improved, particularly when we began to straighten our running and attack the space in front of us. 

Our second game was against King’s Hawford and was probably our best performance of the afternoon. Barney and Felix linked up brilliantly to score a fabulous try in the corner, while Morgan showed great confidence with the ball, passing well and carrying strongly. 

The final game against RGS was another really positive performance. The boys worked hard to make lots of tags and showed plenty of confidence when attacking, with some excellent individual tries scored. 

It was a fantastic afternoon of rugby and a brilliant first experience of competitive tag rugby for the boys. There were lots of positives to take away, and the boys should be really proud of how they approached the afternoon. 

U8 Hockey V The Elms

The Year 3 girls faced a strong Elms side and spent much of the match defending against sustained pressure. Despite the result not going our way, the team showed great determination and worked hard throughout. There were some encouraging moments, with players moving the ball well and finding space to support each other. Defensively, everyone remained committed and never gave up. As the game progressed, it became clear that we need to continue developing our strength on the ball and be more confident when protecting possession. We also need to focus on pushing through tackles with greater determination. Overall, it was a valuable learning experience, and the team should be proud of their effort and positive attitude. Well done! 

U8/U9 Hockey V The Elms 

The Year 4 girls continued to build on the skills they have been developing this term and produced another encouraging performance this week. It was particularly wonderful to see some Year 3 pupils stepping up to join the team, gaining valuable experience and contributing positively throughout the match.

Chloe was outstanding in defence and showed great improvement in her decision-making. She remembered to go and meet the ball rather than waiting for it to come to her, which helped to break up attacks and keep possession for her team. Grace was positive whenever she received the ball and demonstrated excellent awareness by passing into space for her teammates to run onto. Livvy also had an excellent game, producing a couple of brilliant shots on goal that came very close to finding the net.

The girls worked hard to remember not to pass across the danger zone in their defensive end and there is much to be positive about as their understanding, confidence and teamwork continue to grow.

Wednesday 23rd September 

U11 Rugby Festival at Millfield

The U11 teams made the long journey down to Somerset for the U11 Rugby Festival at Millfield. It is always a fantastic event, providing the boys with the opportunity to play against some very strong opposition and test themselves in a great rugby environment. 

All of the boys stepped up brilliantly throughout the afternoon and played some fabulous rugby. There was plenty of excellent attacking play, strong defence and, most importantly, a fantastic attitude from everyone. It was also really useful to join forces once again with King’s Hawford, giving the boys plenty of valuable game time and another opportunity to develop their understanding and combinations when playing together. 

A huge well done to all of the KSA boys who represented the school: Oscar, Harvey, Max, George Daniel, Bertie, Theo, Jack J, Matthew, Jack C, Monty, Haadi, Dylan and Eli. They should all be very proud of their efforts. 

U11A Results 

• King’s 5–5 Blundell’s 

• King’s 25–10 Kingswood 

• King’s 10–15 Millfield 

U11B Results 

• King’s 35–10 Blundell’s 

• King’s 10–0 Millfield 

• King’s 5–15 Kingswood 

U10 Hockey V King’s Hawford & Bromsgrove

The A team produced a fantastic performance against a strong Bromsgrove side on Wednesday. Although Bromsgrove came away with the win, the game was closely contested throughout. A special well done to Maddie, who was playing only her second match as goalkeeper and made a number of outstanding saves to keep her team in the game. Tiegan worked tirelessly from start to finish, constantly tracking back to defend before driving forward to support attacks. Olivia also had an excellent match, covering both the right and left wings with great energy and determination. Ethilda capped off a strong team display by finding the back of the net with a well-taken goal. 

The B team also faced tough opposition and were unfortunate not to come away with a result after a hard-fought contest. Sofia and Henrietta were outstanding in defence, making crucial tackles and interceptions throughout the game. Ugne was superb from the first whistle to the last, never giving up and showing tremendous effort and commitment across the pitch. Her determination, work rate and positive attitude earned her a well-deserved Player of the Match award. 

Well done to all the girls for representing the school so brilliantly with their teamwork, resilience and enthusiasm.

 

U11 Hockey V King’s Hawford & Bromsgrove  

The Year 6 girls enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of hockey at the Bromsgrove tournament, where the standard of hockey throughout the competition was extremely high and provided valuable opportunities for the girls to practise their defensive short-corner routines. Impressively, across four matches, the team conceded just one goal from a short corner, demonstrating excellent organisation and teamwork in defence.

Savannah was certainly put through her paces and faced her very first penalty flick. Remaining calm under pressure, she produced an excellent save, kicking the ball away confidently and effortlessly. She was also tested by several powerful shots from the Hawford attackers. At the other end, Lillianna responded brilliantly, taking early possession of the ball before coolly slotting it past the goalkeeper.

With over an hour of hockey and no substitutes, the girls showed outstanding resilience, fitness and character, while maintaining a real sense of fun and enjoyment throughout. It was also exciting to think ahead to what a combined KSA and KH team could look like in Year 7. We will get an early glimpse of this in November when the girls come together for the Warwick Festival.

U11 Hockey V King’s Hawford & Bromsgrove  

The U11 girls enjoyed a brilliant triangular hockey fixture against Bromsgrove and King’s Hawford, with some excellent hockey on display throughout the afternoon.

The girls started with plenty of energy and created some lovely passages of play, with our first goal of the term coming from Amber after some fantastic build-up play. It was great to see the girls moving the ball with confidence and working together as a team.

Poppy had an excellent afternoon in defence, showing great composure and working hard to keep things tight at the back. Becky was also outstanding across both games and was deservedly named Player of the Match in both fixtures.

Overall, it was a really positive afternoon, with plenty of encouraging performances and some brilliant team hockey. A great start to the term for the U11 girls!