Habs Boys Sports Newsletter - Spring Term 2024

Sporting Success

SPRING TERM

A Message from the Director of Sport

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I wanted to share with you some brief highlights of sport at Habs during what proved to be an exceptional Spring Term

There is so much I would like to write about, and celebrate, but much of the focus inevitably falls on the more visible achievements during the Spring Term. Whilst our success criteria extends way beyond just the wins recorded it was undeniably one of the best combined set of performances in the long history of Habs sport. To see students selected to represent their country, sides competing in the pinnacle of their competitions and going on to win national titles, and the rapid growth in other sports means that Habs sport has enjoyed some rich experiences in the spotlight.

There have been some incredible individual and team performances across the full range of sports, in tough block fixtures on our circuit through to the challenges faced in county and national competitions. Our students have faced these, learned quickly from the experiences and enjoyed some incredibly impressive results. Most pleasingly though has been seeing the conduct shown throughout where the character of our students has been a showcase for the positive values which underpin all that we do here at Habs

I am indebted to my colleagues for their hard work and to the boys for the enthusiasm they have shown. There have been a staggering number of training sessions and fixtures taking place across all age ranges and ability levels and it promises to be just as busy during the current Summer Term. I am also really looking forward to seeing everyone involved with our joint Schools’ Sports Day on Thursday 27 June.

In hope that you enjoy reading through the details of the many outstanding accomplishments and that you will join me in wishing all those involved our thanks for their efforts and commitment which has led to their success. As our students continue to raise the standard expected of them I hope that others can now take this a step further and also reap the benefits.

With best wishes,

Ryan McIntosh Director of Sport

Rugby

In and amongst the appalling weather, the rugby 7s players across the school have delivered some outstanding performances this term.

In February, the U14 squad and the 1st VII both made it to their respective finals of the Habs rugby festival. This weeklong rugby 7s extravaganza is now attracting some national publicity and to have Habs teams in two out of the three finals played this year is a reflection of how far we have come since the festival`s inception 8 years ago.

The 1st VII also made it to the final of the County U18 7s competition for the first time in many years, only succumbing to a full strength Haileybury when the petrol ran out after 6 gruelling matches. The challenge now is to build greater depth within the squad so that we can balance the workload more evenly.

The U12 and U13 squads sadly had their seasons largely depleted by the weather but the U13 squad performed well in the festival (4th) and at the national schools 7s whilst the U12s showed glimpses of their potential at the County 10 a side competition at Berkhamsted.

Furthermore, the U14 squad made history on the 19 March by being only the second Habs team in 27 years to qualify for the second phase of the national schools 7`s competition at Rosslyn Park. These boys are true ambassadors for the school and their achievements are living proof that selfless, respectful and thoroughly decent young men can achieve great things in the sporting arena.

My thanks must go to Mr Taberner (U14), Mr Arnsberg (U15) and coach Mr Hughes for all of their dedication and expertise in producing teams of such quality this term.

Finally, It gives us great pleasure in announcing that one of our foremost senior school rugby players has represented Old Albanian RFC 1st XV in recent weeks. The leap from schoolboy rugby to National League 2 South is vast yet Tom (U6H2) has shown the required skill and temperament to thrive in the company of semi-professional players. Indeed, he has played a key role in two league wins for the club, most notably against Worthing RFC when he intercepted a pass to score from 40 metres We wish Tom further success in the future.

Water Polo

It has been a sensational year for the water polo teams, under the guidance of coach Edi Brkovic. With students regularly attending training sessions before and after school, impressive results are beginning to emerge.

Starting with the youngest age group, the under 12s who began their water polo journey this year, signs are promising that this age group will be one to contend with. The under 13s remain undefeated in the first round of the ESSA cup, whilst the under 14s have competed so far in the London League, very much enjoying the experience.

The experienced under 18s have had a strong showing this year. Coming 4th in the National Plate final, an achievement they should feel hugely proud of. The under 16s who are midway through their season are currently ranked as one of the top 4 teams in London.

Congratulations must go to our U15 water polo squad who came 2nd in the ESSA National Finals held here in March. Habs were in a group with Whitgift School, Croydon and Manchester Grammar. They beat Whitgift 6-0 and Manchester Grammar 6-3, cruising into the semifinals. In the semi-finals, Dulwich were not prepared for a Habs team now hitting their stride - the first goal came after just 10 seconds, a perfectly worked team effort finished by Theo (9H1) who plays as a strong centre forward in a Year 10 team. Habs ran out 8 - 3 winners.

For the final the balcony of the Medburn was full to bursting and the crowd was warmed up and ready for a clash of the titans – Habs v Trinity. Trinity took the lead on the counterattack half-way through the first half, but Habs kept doing the basics right and responded with a goal put away on the left-hand post from a seemingly impossible position. 1-1 at half time, both teams were tired and it was going to come down to the tightest of margins.

Those tight margins showed when a scuffle in front of the Trinity goalmouth, a 50:50 scuffle, led to a Trinity free throw, a quick thinking counter-attack and they were 2-1 up. Habs were playing brilliantly but couldn't get the ball in the net, and the clock slipped agonizingly away. A game coming down to the wire, Habs lost 2-1 but were brilliant silver medalists. Roll on next year!

Swimming

The small, yet enthusiastic Habs swimming team have competed across the Herts Swimming League, which the year 7s B team were victorious in and the London Swimming League where Habs placed 4th in the B final.

Participation in co-curricular swimming sessions has been excellent

Individually, Felix (9M1) has competed at county level and posted times qualifying him for the London regional finals and placed second in the Watford district schools champs.

Cross Country

James (U6C2) continues to perform at the highest level. James swam in the Junior British Open Water Championships and International trials, completing the 7.5km swim in 1-hour 30mins in a lake. This placed him 3rd in Great Britain in the 18/19 year old category.

It has been a successful season for the cross-country team, cumulating in National Finals for a handful of athletes and considerable team success for all.

At the beginning of the season the Junior, Inter and Senior teams competed at the County rounds of the ESAA cup at Dame Alice Owen’s School with all three teams successfully making it through to the regional finals. Here, against stiff opposition, the senior and junior teams were close to qualifying to the National finals. Many of those competing have another year in their age group which bodes well for next season. Well done to all students who took part.

The Herts Schools Championships took place on a sunny day in Verulamium Park in February. Habs were well represented across all age groups with some outstanding results. As a result of their top 10 performances 4 students qualified to represent Hertfordshire at the

National Schools Championships in March. The standout performance was from Josh (10C2) who finished second in the year 10/11 race, adding to the county cross country title he won in January. This earnt him the honour of representing the East of England at the 2024 London Mini Marathon. Much to build on next season and lots of enthusiasm from all involved. Well done!

Badminton

It has been a busy two terms on the Badminton courts, with over 60 players attending the two squad training sessions each week, as well as many others coming along to the open lunchtime sessions.

The highlight of the season was the U14 and U16 National Cup runs, both have made it through to the regional final stages (equivalent to the quarter final), losing to some tough competition from teams with a bit more depth.

The U14 team did not lose a single game against the opposition in the first 3 rounds of the competition, winning each 6-0. In the 4th round, Coopers Coborn presented a tougher challenge, and the match ended at 3 games apiece. However, Adi’s 21-7 singles victory swung the fixture in HABS’ favour to secure the victory on points difference. Unfortunately, their cup run came to an end in the quarter finals losing to Bedford School at home in January

U14 Cup Team: Saanidh (9R2), Joshua (8R2), Adi (8R2), Ben (9M1), George (9R1), Nikhil (9M1) , Leo (9C1)

The U16 team faired equally well in the first 3 rounds, only losing one game across the fixtures against local rivals Parmiters. The 4th round meant a long journey up the M40 to Warwick in early December. The match was a tight and tense affair, with every point counting. After the singles match was drawn at 2 games apiece. The doubles round didn’t split the sides either, with the fixture ending 3 all. The lengthy trip was worth it however, as the Habs team of 4 came out on top on points, 200-186. The team were knocked out in the quarter finals by a team from King Edwards Birmingham, who fielded 4 strong players. George put in an impressive performance to win his singles match, however the other matches didn’t go our way.

There have been some remarkable performances along the way particularly from George who was

brought in from the U14s to play in the U16s. Several Year 10 students have successfully played up an age group too

U16 Cup Team: Aaron (11R2), Shiven (10H2), Keshav (10C1), Nazim (10S1) , Madhav (11C2), Joshua (11J2), George (9R1)

Outside of the cup games, individual successes include Joshua (8R2) winning the U13 Hertfordshire B tournament (as well as the School Open Day tournament) and Kian (10H1) coming 2nd in the U15 competition. This is for players just below county standard, and these results highlight the strength in depth of the squad.

Other activity on the courts this term has included a block fixture against Hitchin, which finished 17 -14 to Habs, with some strong performances from the Year 10 and Year 8 teams.

Gymnastics

The small yet highly talented gymnastics squad have enjoyed major success this season, winning the National Final of the Floor and Vault competition as well as the National Milano Trio competition

The highlights of the season have undoubtably been the two National titles won by the gymnastics teams, Daniel Kerry reports back on the first of these victories, the Milano trio competition that took place in March.

After regional success at the BSGA Floor and Vault on March 3rd as a combined U19 team, our six gymnasts split into two teams of three to compete at the Milano Trio National Finals at Fenton Manor, Stoke-on-Trent.

March 8th was the turn of our U16 team consisting of Jacob (10M2), Michael (8H1) and Ethan (7H).

Despite a 4:45am meet time at school and a long journey the boys performed excellently on Vault, Individual Floor and Group Floor. They cleanly executed their skills with accuracy and athleticism, competing against seven other schools from around the country. We finished in second place behind RGS Newcastle which is an outstanding effort.

On March 9th (bright and early at 4:45am again) it was the turn of our U19s, Sudais (U6H1), Chris (U6C2) and Jobe (U6C2), whose start to the day was less than ideal...

Chris had spent two days unwell but dug deep for his teammates and was ready to compete. Saturday morning, 4.45am, the transport failed to show up, meaning an emergency drive up to Stoke, but finally we were on our way.

Things somehow got worse when we got to Stoke-on-Trent and five minutes before our first rotation we found out that the organisers had the wrong group music. A bit of grovelling to the organisers and I had my iPad hooked up to their sound system and the boys were ready to kick off their last attempt at Trio Nationals.

The circumstances of the morning would have been enough to derail any team's performance but these three demonstrated grit and resilience. They performed well in the group trio and it was clear that the other schools were also very well drilled. Nevertheless, clean floor routines, some excellent vaults and clearly the 4.45am car park run through paid off as the boys won gold and are triumphant as the 2024 Milano Trio National Champions!

The Habs Gym club has been held together by Chris, Sudais and Jobe for seven years. They have been at every event since Year 7 and are a credit to their families and the school. From coming last in our first visit to nationals, winning bronze and silver along the journey and now earning gold. They have optimised the idea of not giving up; "fail, fail again, fail better"! They have worked hard, developed their skills, attempted harder moves, refined their choreography and thoroughly deserve to be crowned national champions.

HabsDash

The weekly HabsDash continues to inspire students and staff alike to get active on a Tuesday lunchtime. Regularly attracting more than 150 runners per week the event organisation is impressive thanks to Mr Broadwith and his team at Habs Towers.

Regular runners can notch up distances from half marathon to 100 miles, with the really keen earning the coveted rainbow bobble hat for completing 100 runs. Individual personal bests, season bests and year group records are tracked and most improved runners are highlighted each week. Inter-house competition is fierce with points earnt for participation. It really is an event for all.

Taking place whatever the weather you’ll enjoy snow machines in December, puddles in spring and glorious sunshine in the summer term. The highlight of the year is the annual Giving Dash – an event that in March 2024 attracted over 600 runners in a range of ridiculous hats and fancy dress. Well done to all who have taken part in the HabsDash this year.

Football

With an impressive 22 teams and over 330 students participating, the new football program has made a remarkable impact, showcasing talent and fostering camaraderie.

A total of 146 matches have unfolded this season, demonstrating the enthusiasm and dedication of the student body. Additionally, over 500 students have engaged in footballrelated games and co-curricular activities on a weekly basis, highlighting the widespread participation and support for the program. It serves as more than just a fitness outlet, integrating physical activity and teamwork into the students' development.

Habs Boys have had numerous achie vements in national and regional competitions. Notably, Year 8

reached round 5 of the ESFA Nation al Schools cup and the Semifinals of the ISFA National Independent Schools cup, Year 9’s progressed to round 5 of the ESFA National Schools cup and the HSFA County cup quarter-final and most recently won the WIX County cup. Year 10’s produced some noticeable performances and reached ESFA National Schools' round 4

Individually, Max (8M2) has been selected to represent the England National ISFA U14 squad for next year with Zach (8S1) as a reserve, incredible!

In the HSFA County cup finals, Year 6 have also had great success in ISFA National tournaments, winning the regional Belmont U11 tournament, and are also WIX County Cup Champions in 2024!

Furthermore, the school's commitment to maintaining its distinctive Habs' footballing identity is unwavering. As the program evolves, Habs Boys School aims to stand shoulder to shoulder with premier footballing schools, upholding its values of excellence and integrity.

The partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club further enhances the experience, instilling values beyond skills transfer. Community engagement is strong, with support from students, parents, and staff.

Looking ahead, the school aims to compete nationally, maintaining its commitment to excellence and holistic development.

Hockey

The 2024 hockey season can be regarded as a success on several levels. In terms of participation, the hockey club has never been healthier

For the first time ever, we were able to field C team fixtures on a weekend at U15 and U14 age groups. This is alongside A to D team at the U12 and U13 levels.

Attendance at training sessions has remained consistently high throughout the season, indicating a sustained enthusiasm for the sport among players. Particularly noteworthy is the enthusiasm displayed by the U12 age group, who have shown a remarkable dedication to training and improving their skills. This sustained

commitment to training bodes well for the future development of the club and its players.

Across the season there has been over 130 fixtures with the club regularly putting out 16 teams on a weekend. This equates to nearly 200 pupils pulling on the jersey and playing school sport each weekend. There has also been notable achievements in terms of team successes. The U15A team emerged as North London County champions, a testament to their skill, teamwork, and dedication

throughout the season. Their undefeated record reflects the high standard of hockey played by the team. Additionally, several pupils have gone on to represent their counties and London Boroughs, further demonstrating the talent and calibre of players nurtured within the club.

Finally, the highlight of a busy and successful season was on 6 March when the U15A hockey team won all five of their matches to win the County cup.

Squash

The U18 Squash Team were outstanding this year, winning the National Plate School Competition for the first time ever.

The U18 squad faced the likes of Marlborough College and Leeds Grammar School in qualification, who they beat to make it to the final. The final was against the mighty Harrow School. With the match finely poised at 22, it fell to Daniel (L6R2) as our number one seeded player, who won a thrilling final to send the gallery into raptures. Habs Boys U18 Squash Team are National Champions!

The newly formed U16 squad also qualified for National Finals and finished in 6th position. This is a huge achievement for the group, all of whom only started playing squash when they joined in Year 7. Well done boys!

Individually, Hugh (9H1) has been asked to join the Welsh National team training and is ranked in the top 50 in England. Well done Hugh!

Golf

The golf season has been very enjoyable so far this year, with students having had the opportunity to play at many beautiful golf courses across Hertfordshire and Surrey.

The team have played 5 fixtures so far this year, winning the majority.

Entered in the ISGA Matchplay competition and the Swifts Foursomes Habs were drawn against schools which include Merchant Taylor’s, St Paul’s and Haileybury School. Habs had an extremely competitive group stage beating Haileybury and St Columba’s in the swifts foursomes missing out on the national finals by 1 point to a very strong Haileybury team.

In the ISGA Matchplay competition Habs also played some fantastic golf. They dropped into the plate division after an extremely tight 2-1 loss to Merchant Taylor’s however they have really kicked on from there. After a 3-0 win against St Columba’s in the Swifts Foursomes, Habs faced them again in the ISGA Area Plate Final at Moor Park Golf

Club. Some extremely high-level golf was played by Rivaan (L6S1), Rahul (U6M1) and in particular Joe (10R1) where Habs managed to beat St Columbas’ trio by 10 shots securing us a place in the ISGA Plate Finals at Brampton Park in July.

The boys have shown some great resilience to come back from losing in the ISGA Cup in our first match of the season, missing out on Swifts national finals qualification by the finest of margins, to now booking their place in the final of a national competition. It has been a great season and we are looking forward to the national finals in July.

Finally, a big highlight of the term was the golf tour to Portugal in February half term. Beautiful weather and golf stunning courses were enjoyed by the team of students who attended.