DC Sport Term 2 Newsletter 2023

WELCOME TO DC SPORT

Term Two has been a whirlwind of fixtures, tournaments and tours which has seen #TeamDC perform at its busy best! The articles in these pages reflect how busy we have been and I hope you enjoy reading of our various sporting endeavours.

A huge thanks to all captains and contributors to the second edition of this magazine and also to Miss Paice, who is the driving force and energy behind the concept and delivery of this magazine.

Enjoy the read and keep being #DCProud! ��

Andy Jones Director of Sport

Term 2 has once again been a massive success for DC Athletics. We continued our dominance at the cross-country events held at the Dubai 7s Stadium, winning 5/6 team categories and placing within the Top 10 for each category for the individual championships. Absolutely brilliant!!

The term also saw the start of the track and field events in PE and Games and training at lunchtimes. Friday 10th March, we had the Division 1 DASSA Athletics Championships at the Sports City track. Our squad had incredible depth, and we came away winning every single age group, A&B, boys & girls. Results will be shared, and we will see if any records were broken!!!

Many thanks to Mr Riordan, Miss Paice, Mr Mosley, Miss Hember, Mr Berkenshaw and Mr Newman for their help with organising the teams and working with us throughout the day.

Laura & Dylan Senior Athletics Captains

CRICKET

This term was quite active for cricket across all age groups with several touring matches. Zain, Raghav, and Kushaan were astonishing with their all-round performance with Kushaan scoring two centuries and the 1XI cricket squad claiming multiple victories in longer format matches against Kings Canterbury and Aldenham, as well as shorter format matches against Gillespie.

The U13’s, U15’s and 1XI cricket squad competed in the DC sixers where we impressed across all age groups. The U13’s came runners up in their tournament while DC dominated the U15’s tournament with both DC A and DC B playing each other in the finals where DC A claimed victory for the cup. For the U19 cup, we had DC B winning the plate final and DC A securing the cup in an intense high scoring match against DESC.

The 1XI cricket team also competed in DASSA this year where we met our rivals DIA Emirates Hills in the finals. An incredible fight back with the ball by Zain , Saif Ali, and Raghav, who picked up seven wickets collectively and set a target of 127 to chase for the trophy. After an emotional rollercoaster, it was two Year 10’s, Keshav, and Arjun, who brought it home for DC to claim their first ever DASSA U19 Hardball Cricket trophy. Raghav picked up 8 wickets across 3 innings making him the highest wicket taker with the lowest economy during the entire tournament while Kushaan was the leading run scorer and MVP of the entire tournament scoring 247 across 4 innings.

Zain

Senior Cricket Captain

DANCE

This year has been a wonderful year for dance at DC, as we have had opportunities to perform and compete in a variety of big events. From September, we have been working on our main choreography piece that we recently performed at the Dubai Desert Dance competition. Thanks to the hard work and dedication from all the dance club members, we received the best musicality award, which we were very proud to receive.

At the end of term one, a handful of our dancers competed in the UDO dance competition. Well done to Sophie who won 2nd place in the solo street category. Sophie & Amna did exceptionally well in the duo street category winning 1st place overall. This was the first time they had ever competed in a very high standard dance competition, so they did extremely well to finish 1st and 2nd. In May, 10 of our dancers are going to compete in the UDO dance competition. For the first time ever, DC has entered the team category. We wish all those involved the very best of luck.

We can't wait to see the team grow next year and huge thanks to Miss Bland who enables us to put on such a fun and enjoyable club.

Miss Bland

GIRLS FOOTBALL

Term 2 of football consisted of the DASSA Knockout Cup and the BSAK 7s tournament. All our teams were determined to win and worked hard throughout the season. Starting off with the U12 team, beating Raffles international school 1-0, they were into the semi-finals. However, they were faced with tough opponents in the semis which unfortunately resulted in a loss to JESS. The U13 team were unfortunately not very lucky this term losing out to DESC in the quarter finals of the cup. However, 5 members on the team had started playing for the U14’s who had an amazing season. The U14’s played two games prior to the knockout cup; they played English College beating them 1-0 and the ADISSA select squad also winning 5-1. When the tournament began, the girls flew through the matches beating teams (English College, Safa and KSAB) with no less than a 2-goal margin. They then reached the Cup Final playing against DESC where despite their hard work and undying efforts they unfortunately lost placing them 2nd in the cup. Additionally, they placed 3rd out of 11 teams in the BSAK 7s tournament. The U16 had a phenomenal season this term. They were undefeated in the matches leading up to the cup final playing WSO (9-1), EIS (2-1) and Nord Anglia (3-1). In the final they faced Gems World Academy and showed them who was boss, by winning the trophy beating GWA with an astonishing 11-0. Finally, the U19s had an interesting season. Winning the plate in the BSAK 7s tournament, we were ready for the cup matches. However, to our surprise nearly all our matches had been cancelled (we like to think it was because they were too afraid of us) This automatically put us into the semi-finals where we played GWA Leading 10 for the majority of the game, we unfortunately lost our chances at the final in the second half knocking us out the cup. Although there have been many wins and losses, I am sad to see the football season coming to an end. Despite this, I want to say a big well done to everyone that participated. I am excited for the next year where we will

GOLF

This season of golf was certainly a memorable one for DC. We competed in 4 qualifying tournaments against more than 10 schools in the Middle East on courses including Dubai Hills, Arabian Ranches, and the Montgomery. The tournaments took place in a stableford format with the aim of scoring the highest score possible, where each of our team members had the chance to showcase their ability, including Jay, Gloria, Alex, Keiran, Andrew, Arthur, Charit, and Karma.

We saw outstanding performances from Gloria in Year 10 and Jay in Year 11, who scored a cumulative score of 37 and 34 respectively in the first 4 games, qualifying them for the finals at Arabian Ranches on the 13th March, where Jay shot 75 to tie for 2nd place gross, and Gloria shot 90 for a T19 finish, raising the bar for the precision and skill in DC’s golf community! This was certainly a successful season of golf, which can hopefully continue with more tournaments to be potentially announced soon!

Dena Senior Girls Golf Captain

This netball term has truly been an outstanding one, with over 300 girls playing throughout the season with a variety of ability levels and ages all being able to experience the excitement of the sport and being a part of the amazing ‘DC Netball Family’. Passion, Respect and Commitment are our key words, and we aim to recognize these every day

To start, all age groups have had an incredible season with the U12, U14, U16 and U19 A teams all winning their Division 1 DASSA leagues with the U13A team coming runners up. The U12, U13, U14 and U19 B teams also all came first in their Division 2 DASSA leagues with the U16B team narrowly missing out coming runners up Furthermore, the U12, U13, U14 and U16 C teams were all winners of their Division 3 DASSA leagues showing just how much depth of talent we have at DC. The U12 D team came 7th in division 4, the U13D team came 5th in division 4 and the U16 D team came 8th in division 3. An amazing set of results with winners across every age group, which is a truly awesome achievement by the Dubai College netball girls.

In addition to the domination of the DASSA leagues, the U12A team were also winners of the NAS tournament and were the DASSA tournament champions. The U13A came runners up at the DASSA tournament and the U14A and U19A were all winners of their respective DASSA age group tournaments. The U19A were also champions of the DC senior international netball tournament played in February half term which topped off a fantastic season having won the Emirates Dubai 7’s Open Youth Cup earlier in the year.

These excellent achievements can be attributed to the girl’s hard work in training and to our amazing and dedicated coaches who have guided us throughout, making us the best netballers we can be.

Therefore, I would like to say a massive thank you to our coaches Ms Kgasi, Ms Bland, Ms Paice, , and Ms Tomkins for all their hard work in helping our DC ove I’d also like to say a special thank you to Ms Sdao, none of and she has spent countless hours planning, organising, and for all the work you have put in to create our DC netball

Congratulations to Molly, Jemma, Maria, and Chloe who represented the U17 UAE netball team in the European Championships in Northern Ireland, playing England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland the best teams in Europe.

Congratulations to Alex, Alana, Charlie, Kate, and Sophie who have been selected to represent the UAE Open team in the Europe Netball Open Challenge competition in Wales in May. We also had a parent social event at Sho Cho, a night to support the WSG and Australia touring teams which was a fantastic evening with lots of parents present, to be repeated annually hopefully!

An end of season celebration awards lunch will also be happening after the spring break to celebrate all the girls amazing achievements this year!

And finally, we would also like to say a huge thank you to our sponsors this year: NEXUS, Huriya Private, Proventeq and Happy Travel who have offered support for the competitions through the year, the girls really appreciate your support.

We are looking forward to the WSG games for our U13 and U14 teams in June, defending our titles, and to 30 senior netballers travelling to Australia in July to play arguably the best in the world – starting in Sydney, going to the Gold Coast and finally Sunshine Coast. A special mention to our amazing parents for all their support this season, it has been great to have you back on the side lines.

Lastly, thank you to the Y13’s who leave this year, Sophie, Kate, Alex, Alex, and Sam for all their passion and commitment and years of playing for DC, all role models to our younger players.

Evie Senior Netball Captain

This year has seen some incredible rugby within the past few months, with all age groups competing at the highest level of rugby that a player can reach in the UAE, some players and teams going above and beyond by competing internationally, playing some of the best rugby schools in the world, and proving Dubai College to be an excellent rugby school as well as an academic school.

To start off with, the U12 boys saw great success in major tournaments, beating JESS in the Cup final of the DASSA tournament and winning all 15 a-side games throughout the season. They also went on to win the DC10’s by also beating JESS on home turf. What an outstanding achievement for these players!

Next, the U13 boys saw great success this year with their rugby, by winning the DASSA league, as well as the U13A boys being semi-finalists in the Millfield prep 7s and tournament winners at Rosslyn Park. I am sure Mr Benade is ecstatic with these results from the younger years and shows that DC rugby is in safe hands!

The U14 boys fought valiantly in both the DC 10s, as well as the DASSA league however unfortunately coming up short just losing to JESS. The U15 Rugby squad travelled to Portugal and competed in the Rugby Youth Festival Portugal, which consisted of teams from across Europe and South Africa. The squad won their group and reached the semi-finals, narrowly losing to the eventual winners and finished third in the tournament.

The U16s resumed Dubai College success as the U16B’s won the DASSA league undefeated and beating rivals DESC in their final. The U16 A’s were edged out in their DASSA league, however they went on to beat DESC 15-0 in the DC 10’s final, bringing back even more silverware for DC. The U16s also competed in Rosslyn Park, perhaps the most prestigious schoolboy tournament in the world, and these boys fought hard and managed to make it to the knockout stages, a feat that I’m sure that they are all very pleased with.

Finally, the U19 boys, perhaps seeing less silverware, but still giving it all their heart. The boys lost very narrowly to their main rivals DESC and JESS in the DASSA league and were even more unfortunate to miss out on the DC 10s final due to a point difference margin! I can say however it has been an honour to play for Dubai College, and looking at these results, it is fair to say that DC is going to see a lot of success in rugby in the upcoming years, these boys also are lucky enough to be in the safe hands of Mr Jones and Mr Benade, two of the best coaches I have ever had training me, so on behalf of all of the rugby players here at DC, I would like to thank them both and Mr Walsh f improving us as squads.

Max Senio i

BOYS RUGBY

Rosslyn Park is a prestigious rugby tournament that provides an excellent platform for young players to showcase their skills and potential, and this March, we had the wonderful opportunity to enter as an U16s team for the first time in Dubai College history. In the recent edition of Rosslyn Park, our team had a remarkable run of victories, winning our first three games convincingly and topping our group, making a strong statement to England about the quality of DC sport.

We defeated Cundall Manor 26-0, Croesyceiliog 31-7, and Bedford Modern 36-0, with a beautiful hattrick from Daniel; everybody demonstrated great skill, teamwork and determination and we thoroughly deserved our wins These victories were a testament to the dedication and all the hard work put in during the months prior from our players and coaching staff.

Unfortunately, in our final game of the tournament against St Peter's York, we were on the wrong end of a controversial refereeing decision that cost us the game. Despite playing well and dominating much of the game, we lost 10-12 It was a frustrating end to an otherwise excellent tournament, but we can all be proud of the effort and commitment we displayed throughout the competition.

Mudiwa

U16 Boys Rugby Captain

The U15 rugby team recently embarked on an unforgettable tour to Lisbon, Portugal This experience was not only a great opportunity for young players to showcase their skills on an international level but also gave them a chance to explore a new culture and create lifelong memories with their teammates.

First we played one of the favourites of the tournament GD Direito, a Portuguese rugby club The game was tightly contested, with both sides displaying excellent defensive skills. In the end, the match ended in a draw, with the final score being 5-5.

Next game was against Harrogate and we won comfortably with a score of 15-0. Final group match was against CDUP and we had an impressive 60-0 victory In the quarterfinals, we faced off against CR Tecnico, another favourite to win. We managed to secure a 5-0 win.

In our final game we faced off against CDUL, another Portuguese rugby club. It was a hardfought match, with both sides showing great determination and skill. In the end, CDUL emerged victorious with a narrow 7-5 win For the third and fourth playoffs, we played AA Combria We won this game comfortably with a 33-0 win. Although we didn't make it to the final, we had an incredibly successful tour and showed Lisbon what DC was capable of.

Lucas U15 Boys Rugby Captain

GIRLS RUGBY

What an amazing and fulfilled season of girls rugby had this terms. For great achievements in Dubai to the great efforts given in the UK. This season has been something. The term started of strong with the kick start of the DASA season for two U13, two U15, and two U19s teams; having matches on a weekly basis

The DESC 10s tournament shortly followed in the month of January, where the U15 and U13s missed out on the plate and the U19 girls finished off the tournament with 2nd places closely loosing against DESC.

A few weeks later DC hosted its annual 10s tournament. The weekend started off with the U15B lead, by Zara winning their first match with a bang against NAS 32-10 and the U15A lead by Sophie leading the girls to their first game victory against DESC A 33-14. Unfortunately, the U15B had it hard on the way to the cup getting knocked out by the U15A DC girls. The A's made it to the cup finals coming 2nd overall to a very strong JESS team The U19 girls followed, winning against the 7s finals rivals JESS, however, closely losing to DESC in the final game of the tournament 21-24, coming 2nd overall.

After 10 weeks of non stop weekly group matches the 2023 DASSA season came to end. With the U15s and U19 girls coming second overall and the U13's league plate winners

GIRLS RUGBY

The final stretch of this fantastic season took place at the HSBC Rosslyn Park school’s tournament where we were able to pull together two teams of girls at the last minute: an U16s and U19s team. Both teams represented the DC jersey with pride and showed what girls rugby here in Dubai is all about, playing against top UK schools who have been training months in advance for this tournament The U16s made it through to the quarterfinals out of 32 teams and the U19s came 3rd out of 66 teams losing to the winners in the semi-finals.

The main rugby term has now come to an end, and it was brilliant! Everyone that participated must be incredibly proud of what they have accomplished and for forming a real girls rugby legacy

Femke Senior Girls Rugby Captain

The DC Swim Team ended the season with the DASSA Individual Swimming Championships at Hamdan Sports Complex. It was our most exciting competition yet as we brought together both our A team and B team, swimming against over 20 schools in Dubai. Throughout the day our swimmers achieved personal bests, school records and some even obtained times for national competitions. Overall, DC finished an impressive fourth due to the massive effort put in by our swimmers.

We want to thank each swimmer for their dedication, resilience and most importantly their positive attitude that they brought every time they stepped onto poolside. Thank you all so much, for providing us with the opportunity to represent DC as captains and we encourage all of you to keep pushing and challenge for further success in the following seasons. We also want to thank Mr Mosley and Mr Newman for helping lead the swim team - we wouldn’t be able to do any of this without them!

Iman and Tom Senior Swimming Captains

The DC tennis season has been one of the most competitive to date with numerous achievements across all age groups. Starting with the American School Dubai back in November, the team have come up against a wide array of schools from across the Middle East, both British and American.

The highlight so far for our seniors was competing in the ASD invitational, for schools across the Middle East. The boys suffered a narrow loss in the team finals whilst the girls went one better in securing an emphatic victory to bring home the title. In the individual portion of the competition, all 6 of our entrants into the boys categories finished 3rd or higher with Alex and Max going on to win their respective category. Our 6 girls entrants made 4 finals between them, clinching 3 victories with Sasha, Aditi and Cindy & Katie emerging as victors from the day

Moving down the age groups, our U16 and U14 players participated in the annual DASSA singles championships aiming to create foundations for the future. Our U14 girls gave a good showing with Sofia claiming 3rd place whilst Ela went all the way to the final before falling just short of the trophy and ending up 2nd place overall. In the U16 girl’s tournament, Mya managed her way to the semi-finals before bowing out. The U16 boys, however, proved the most successful with Alex, Max and Leo producing a historic DC one-two-three, exerting utter dominance over the rest of the field.

Overall, the DC tennis season, so far, has been filled with unbridled success. We have reinforced our status as the top performing British school in the country with our U18 girls also continuing their astounding 5-year unbeaten streak. Looking ahead, the culmination of the tennis season approaches with our internal championships set to round out the senior’s season to determine our very own Grand Slam contenders. Congratulations to Aadit, Ela, Alizeh and Aarav, who were winners in our internal junior tournament.

Nikhil and Sasha Senior Tennis Captains

SPORTS DAY

DC Sports Day was back for 2023 and excitement was high! I’m in Year 7 and this was my first DC Sports Day, so I was a little unsure of what to expect. When I arrived at school that morning the atmosphere was electric! Students were buzzing to get started and you could tell that DC are passionate about sport.

It was an action-packed day and the performances from all events were impressive. The events which really stood out for me were the 1500m, the Javelin and especially the Sprint categories – the athletes performed so well! I took part in the Discus, which I’d never taken part in before, but it was great to be introduced to a new sport and I was super proud I managed 2nd place. I also took part in 800m which was tough, and the conditions were hot as well, but I stuck with it and was pleased with my 4th place position.

I think it’s quick to forget all the other factors that make up Sports Day, outside of the athletes participating. Firstly, all the people that give their time to help support the event such as the coaches, teachers, parents, and volunteers who support them. Without them, we would never be able to achieve the things we do - even people who were not participating were helping at the sweet stall to raise money for the SJS school in Nepal.

Secondly, one of the things I love about Sports Day, and sport in general, is that it provides an opportunity for students to showcase their athletic abilities, promote teamwork and collaboration and build up the school spirit!

Everyone was so excited to see who would take the crown of DC Sports Day 2023. In fourth place was Barbarossa, third was Heyerdahl, second was Cousteau… leaving Chichester as the 2023 champions!!

DC Sports Day was an amazing event to both participate in and spectate. I am so excited for 2024!! GO CHICHESTER!! ��

Sophia Year 7

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Amaan Y11 brings home 5 individual golds, 2 relay golds, 3 national records and the best male swimmer trophy from the Pakistan National Swimming Championships. He has also qualified for the World Championships in Japan, Commonwealth Youth Games and Asian Games!

Well done to Nadine (Y9) who raced in the DIMC Regatta at Deira Islands and came 1st Female ILCA 4 fleet The ILCA 4s raced in a mixed fleet and she was second overall, behind the first male.

Well done to Annabelle, Tatum, Adina, Femke, Heinrich, Jack, Charlie, Mudiwa, Lucas and Mr Jones who represented the UAE Rugby Teams in Nepal. The Boys were runners up and the girls were champions!

We want to hear from you, if you have any individual or team successes please inform the PE department via email or through our socials!

Elisa competed in the Abu Dhabi Classic Trophy competition and she was hugely successul as she became the UAE National Champion in Figure Skating!!

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