Sporting Success
A Message from the Director of Sport
Dear ParentsandGuardians,
Iwantedtosharewithyou somebriefhighlightsofsport atHabsBoysduringwhathas proventobeanexceptional SummerTerm.
A sensational summer term of sport to conclude an incredible year at Habs Boys. Simply our best ever!
Whilst I have come to expect the very best from our staff and students I have been blown away by the commitment, dedication and passion that has been evident across the huge range of activities on offer. I have said before, but it is worth repeating, that it is our approach to ensure that everyone is welcome and the success that this brings across so many activities is what sets us apart. Our lens doesn't just focus on the focus sports and whilst we celebrate the amazing success of our elite performers, we also champion the personal best performances and the progress made by every student involved. There can be no better advert for this approach than our Joint Sports Day which was, once again, a fantastic day. There really is nothing else like it in the UK from the venue, sense of community and the way everyone fully immerses themselves into the day. All of this helps to make it the incredible spectacle it has become.
There have been some truly outstanding achievements this term on both personal and team levels. All of which are a testament to the hard work put in by students and staff to enable them to enjoy their time in the spotlight. Our athletes have performed with great credit and we wish those going on to compete in national finals the very best. Cricket, as is now expected, has continued to operate at very high levels across all age groups and levels with the depth of our talent is growing considerably. Three County Cup winners rich reward for those involved.
Having been able to witness the progress of our tennis players competing in the ISTA National Finals earlier this week, I can attest to the frankly staggering ability on show. The very best players in the country all competing in the most prestigious school tournament of the year. Our students were brilliant and a combination of talent, tenacity and huge composure meant that they were able to win the U15 title, a huge achievement and one which continues to reinforce the strength of tennis here at Habs Boys.
Elsewhere, I have been delighted with the progress we have made with the launch of The Habs Way and this will underpin everything that we
do going forward. I am also really pleased with the work going into the High Performance Programme which will help to provide the support our top athletes need. Exciting times are ahead and I am really looking forward to seeing the impact of these from next year.
As ever, I hope that you enjoy reading through the content here and that it gives a flavour of what has taken place this term. My thanks go to everyone involved, to the students, staff and parents who all play such a significant part in our ambitions to see excellence everywhere with sport at Habs Boys School. I wish you all a very enjoyable and restful summer and look forward to seeing you when we return with our Back to Sport sessions prior to the start of term.
With best wishes,
Ryan McIntosh Director of Sport
At the end of April, Sam (10S2) and Kaaviyan (10J2) won the U18 Hertfordshire Schools County Doubles Championships held at Welwyn Tennis Club. They fought off competition from 15 other teams in the draw with victories against Watford Grammar School for Boys, Monk's Walk School and Dame Alice Owen's School, before winning 6-3 in the final against St Columba’s College
In the U14 event, Xander (8C2) and Ryan (9C1) won comfortably against Dame Alice Owen's School but then lost out to a strong Sandringham School pairing in a close encounter in the quarter-finals.
The U18 and U14 team can be seen in the photo above. The U18 team (back row left to right): Theo (U6S2), Benjamin (U6C2), Sam (10S2), Kaaviyan (10J2), David (10S1) and Kian (10H1). The U14 team (front row left to right): Rex (9R2), Max (9S1), Louis (9C1), Lucas (9C1), Xander (8C2) and Ryan (9C1).
Tennis
On Tuesday 2 July 2024 our U15 tennis players became National Champions! Mr Lee reports on this incredible achievement below.
Most recently, our star U15 tennis players, Sam (10S2) and David (10S1) won the Independent Schools Tennis Championships!
There were 90 teams from all over the country converging on Eton College to compete in the 4-day annual event – the most prestigious national tournament in the school tennis calendar.
At the start of the weekend, the team topped their group with 5 wins in the preliminary rounds against strong tennis schools such as Eton College and Dulwich College On Sunday, the knock-out draw for the remaining 32 teams was made and they won their first round convincingly against St George’s before overcoming Abingdon School 7-6, 6-0 in the last 16 to progress to the quarter finals, which is as far as Habs Boys had ever reached previously at the U15 level. The pair then continued to raise the bar to ease to a 6-3, 6-1 victory against Warwick School to reach the semi-finals.
The next morning, they lined up against the 2nd Habs pairing of Kaaviyan (10J2) and Kian (10H1), who had performed at their very highest level to join Sam and David in a remarkable all Habs semi-final – an outstanding accomplishment itself. The 6-1, 6-4 outcome in favour of Sam and David took them into the final against St Columba’s College, who had battled past former champions New Hall in their semi-final.
The final against St Columba’s College was full of intensity and drama, and after going down a break early in the first set, they showed great composure to recover while playing under immense pressure. After some superb shot-making and real grit, Sam and David broke serve again at 5-5 and followed up to take the set 7-5, before sealing a 6-3 scoreline in the second set to win the ISTA Thomas Bowl trophy – a truly incredible achievement!
Athletics
It has been a busy term for the Athletics Team who have competed in the Herts League, Herts Schools Championships and ESSA County and Regional Cup Finals as well as the Habs 7 Athletics Festival in Oxford.
2024 has been an outstanding season for the athletics squad. Across Year 7 to Lower Sixth we have competed throughout the summer in the English Schools’ Athletic Association Track and Field Cup, Hertfordshire Schools’ Athletics League, and the County Championships. This has predominantly seen teams in Year 7, 8, 9, and 10 compete weekly in multiple athletic meets against the likes of Berkhamsted and St Albans. This season we have continued to integrate with our counterparts from the Girl’s school, offering an amazing opportunity for co-educational experiences in single-sex education.
Across the season we have had some outstanding performances. Five Habs students are County Champions with Ore (11J1) winning the High Jump with an impressive 1.95m jump, Lani (9R1) came away as a double champion with both the 100m and the Long Jump, Chu (9C2) won the Discus and capped off an outstanding athletics season with a 52.80m personal best, and finally our youngest champion Lucas (7R) triumphed winning the Hurdles. To add to this success, congratulations must be given to several Habs students who have made the Hertfordshire County team who will compete at the National English Schools, this includes Rafi (L6R1), Ore (11J1), Josh (10C2), Lani (9R1), Chu (9C2) and Tobi (9R2). These successes are testament to the hard work, continued training, and outstanding performances from our Habs Athletics Squad.
Thank you to Mrs March, Mr Cooper, Mr Moon and Mr Huntley who have been ever present in providing coaching and officiating, allowing many of these athletics meets to take place. Finally, a special thank you to our out-going Inter Boys’ Athletics Captain James Walters who has led the teams with great perseverance and role modelling the Habs Way throughout the season.
This is my first season representing Habs Athletics, competing in the Hurdles. Over a very short period of time and with hours of hard work, I have Improved dramatically. The support of the teachers at Habs have guided and encouraged me to persevere with the progression in my event. I am the Hertfordshire County Champion in Hurdles with a blistering 13.01 seconds winning time. Lucas (7R)
Athletics
A standout moment for me was becoming a double County Champion at the Hertfordshire Schools County Championships, winning gold medals in both the 100m and the Long Jump. My jump of 5.79 metres that ranked me top 10 in the UK at the time was able to help me qualify for the English Schools National Athletics Competition. Unfortunately, during the season I sustained a wrist injury but prior to that I competed in the Middlesex County Championships, where I was able to obtain a medal in the 100m - a significant accomplishment. I aim to achieve below 11 seconds in the 100m, low 23 seconds in the 200m, and jump 6 meters in the Long Jump to help me obtain a medal at the English Schools National Athletics Competition.
These successes have been incredibly rewarding and have deepened my passion for athletics. I am immensely proud of my accomplishments this season and am eager to continue pushing my limits for the rest of this season. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mr Pickford for his unwavering support, guidance and encouragement throughout this journey. His dedication has been instrumental in helping me achieve my goals. Lani (9R1)
My main events this year have been High Jump and 400m, competing as an U17. I have competed in the Herts League as well as the Track and Field Cup, winning every High Jump competition this year except for one where I placed 2nd at the Hertfordshire County Championships, with a particularly disappointing result of 1.76m. Half a week later, I bounced back jumping a personal best of 1.85m at the annual Fraser Bird meet in Oxford. With this result, I am currently joint 7th in the UK as a first year U17 (Year 10), and joint 25th overall (Years 10 and 11). Although it is not my main event, I've had some success in the 400m - last week, in the most recent round of the Herts League, I ran my fastest 400m all year with a time of 55.7s James (10M1)
My most standout performance would be at the Hertfordshire County Schools competition where my talents were on full display. I came into this competition with a personal best of 11.91m with a 4kg shot put and I was looking to achieve the entry standard for the English Schools competition - a competition where the best in the country would compete at the national stage. For me to enter this competition I would have to achieve a standard of 12.30m and going into the tournament I was 40cm away from this target. I was nervous on the day and in my first three throws I had 2 no throws with my only valid throw being 11.73m. Due to me having placed in the top 8 I had 3 more throws and with my first 3 I had eased my nerves. Then in my next throw I threw an outstanding throw of 13.01m, which put me way past the qualifying standard and landed me 11th in the country.
Overall, this athletics season has been the best yet, I have been improving alongside my peers who have encouraged and supported me through my endeavours. However, I am still aware there is much more to play for such as the National Competition, but I am ready to work hard and surpass my limits while still enjoying the journey. Tobi (9R2)
Athletics
With an impressive 22 teams and over 330 students participating, the new football program has made a remarkable impact, showcasing talent and fostering camaraderie.
This athletics season I have come second in both the Hertfordshire County Championships for 800m and 1500m and second in the Herts Schools County Championships. With Under 17s being a competitive age group and being a year younger than the other athletes, I felt that this was a great achievement. This along with a personal best of 1:56 got me an invitation to represent Hertfordshire at English Schools. This personal best also puts me at 9th place in the UK rankings for a first year Under 17. Josh (10C2)
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.
Cricket
2024 has been another fantastic season for the Cricket Club
We have had over 22 teams ranging from our Year 7s to the 1st XI representing the school throughout the Summer Term, over 330 students representing the school through the summer with 260 games on our fixture card. This is only possible due to the fantastic support from all teaching, coaching staff and parents.
We have continued our tough block of fixtures against big cricketing schools like Merchant Taylors' School, Abingdon School, MGC, Berkhamsted School and Haileybury. These are wonderful opportunities for the students to develop all their cricket skills against elite sporting cricket schools.
The 1st Team had a challenging year in terms of results. That said, it was a wonderful year of development for all our Year 9 and 10 students who were playing their first full year in the 1st Team. This will hopefully hold them in a good place for 2025 when we recruit new players in that environment. Standout performances were as a team amassing 279 in a T20 game against Bancroft's School; Felix (U6H2) scoring his 1st Team maiden century (100 runs); Tom (U6H2) falling one run short of his 100 and Luca (10H2) 6-fers against Aldenham School in another T20 game.
2024 also saw many students gain County Representative Honours - Tom (U6H2) made his Middlesex U18 debut against Hampshire. Felix (U6H2) and Samarajit Mahonaty (U6) made their debuts for Hertfordshire U18s. Luca (10H2) represented Middlesex U15s. Atharv (9R2) representing Middlesex U14s. Atharv also was awarded the ‘best all-rounder’ in the Middlesex pathway. Atharv also spent the winter on the ‘Junior Middlesex Academy’ team.
Cricket
In our junior age groups, we saw County Cup wins for Year 7's (Mr Howgego), Year 8's (Mr Kerry) and Year 9's (Mr Haring). This was Mr Haring’s 10th County Cup win in the last 14 years, which is very impressive. A huge congratulations goes to those students and staff involved throughout their campaigns. This year saw Year 9 players travel to Epsom College to take part in their 2-day T20 tournament, defeating some notable schools before losing out to the hosts in the final.
We continued to integrate cricketers from Habs' Girls' School, playing every Saturday in our fixtures. We had Habs Girls students playing across Years 7 to 10 each week and will look to continue to increase numbers in 2025.
A special mention to Mr Kemmett and his ground staff team. We are all in agreement that the wickets, fields and training facilities are fantastic and help to support the students overall cricketing development. A thank you also to our catering team for their support throughout the Summer Term
Co-Curricular Half Awards go toLuca (10H2)
Arav (10H2)
Aaryan (10J2)
Anish (10H2)
We look forward to driving Habs cricket forward in 2025
Mr Hewitt
Golf
As the golf season concluded, our team showcased skill and determination in two noteworthy matches.
Our penultimate match was a friendly against Mill Hill at The Hertsmere. This match served as a warmup and our team emerged victorious, winning two games to one. The performance of our players highlighted their preparedness and set a positive tone leading into the season's finale.
The season culminated with the ISGA National Plate Finals at Brampton Park Golf Club, featuring intense competition from eight other teams. Our team delivered several standout moments during this challenging match. Some of the day's highlights were Ashish's (10J1) remarkable chip-in, showcasing his finesse and control around the greens. With Joe (10R1) provided a thrilling moment with his eagle, demonstrating his power and precision. Meanwhile, Mr Lee experienced a tough day on the greens notably recording his 12th three-putt, a testament to the challenging course conditions. However, Noah (10J2) finished with a +3 for the back nine with his resilience and determination being commendable, despite a tough front nine.
These performances reflected both the highs and lows of competitive golf, highlighting our team's talent and perseverance. As the season wraps up, we look forward to building on these experiences and aiming for greater achievements in the future
Squash
The final week of term saw a thrilling end to the squash season. Mr Cooper reports on the recent School Squash Championships
After weeks of intense squash matches, it all came down to the Junior and Middle School Squash Championship Finals. The Junior Final would see a new champion crowned but would it be Rian (8R1) or Rohaan (9S1)? Rian settled the better of the two and won the first game 11-1 in double quick time. However, the second game didn’t follow the same script. Points were exchanged at regular intervals but at 6 all, Rian found some rhythm to rattle off four consecutive points and take the game 11-7. Clearly shocked, Rohaan failed to regain his composure and in the third game Rian showed why he is in the squash team to win out 11-5 and claim his first championship trophy.
The Middle School Final was a battle of two heavyweights of HABS squash, and a repeat of last year's junior final, with Hugh (9H1) up against Oliver (9H2). Oliver was successful when the pair met in last year's Junior Final and so Hugh was on the hunt for revenge. Matches between these two are always tight affairs and so this one followed a similar pattern. Changes of serve were frequent with neither player able to establish any sort of clear lead. However, as fatigue set in, Oliver pounced and produced squash of the highest calibre to win the opening game 11-8. The second game, so crucial in squash, was an equally tight affair with neither player willing to risk shots unnecessarily until at 10-10 Oliver produced two sublime shots to take the game and the ascendency. Clearly rattled, Hugh struggled to get into the third game leaving Oliver to run away with the victory and claim his second title in successive years
Prep Sport
At Habs' Boys' Prep School, this term has been a testament to our ethos of balancing inclusivity whilst pushing for excellence. Our pupils have not only represented the school across various sports but have also achieved remarkable success, highlighting the importance of teamwork, dedication and leadership.
Cricket
Our U11A cricket team had an outstanding run in the Hertfordshire County Cup, showcasing their skill and determination. On their way to the final, they secured impressive victories against the following teams: Edge Grove School, Heath Mount School and Beachwood Park School. One of the highlights of our cricket season was undoubtedly the leadership and performance of Dhruv (6MN). His ability to score runs quickly during critical moments and his exceptional leadership qualities were pivotal in our success. Dhruv's contributions enabled the team to compete in the U11 national finals at Chigwell School, marking a significant milestone in our cricket journey
Athletics
In athletics, our pupils participated in the East Area Prep School Athletics, displaying their prowess across various events. A standout moment was at the National Qualifying event, where Seth (6SA) impressed, qualifying for the finals in the 200m.
Swimming
Our swimming team had success by qualifying for the Primary Schools National Finals in Sheffield. This achievement reflects the dedication of our swimmers. Competing at a national level has provided our pupils with an invaluable experience and the opportunity to measure themselves against some of the best young swimmers in the country
Tennis
In the final few weeks of term our U9 and U10 pupils had an impressive performance, with our U9’s finishing 2nd overall in an LTA Tennis Competition. This result underlines the talent within our younger pupils and sets a promising foundation for the future of tennis in the Prep School
Prep Sport
A Balanced Approach to Sport
We believe in the importance of providing all pupils with the opportunity to participate in sports while also encouraging those with exceptional talent to excel. This term, every pupil has had the chance to represent the school in either cricket or tennis, emphasising our inclusive approach.
Table Tennis
Table tennis has seen continued success throughout the term, with notable performances by our students. James (5DK) stood out by finishing 4th in the National IAPS Competition. His achievement reflects the consistent effort and skill development in our table tennis provision.
By fostering an environment that balances inclusivity with the pursuit of excellence, we ensure that we promote Prep School Sporting values: respect, teamwork, competitiveness, leadership, resilience and creativity.
Sports Day 2024
The best yet! This was the third occasion that Habs Boys and Habs Girls have come together for the Joint Sports Day and it was superb.
There really isn’t another Sports Day of this type being done anywhere in the UK. Hosting it at StoneX Stadium has helped to elevate the sense of occasion and it is fabulous to see our students resplendent in their now combined House colours, filling an entire stand. The ambition was for every student to be involved in events which included just about the full range of those events traditionally seen as part of Track & Field, the hugely popular Community Mile and, of course, the weird and wonderful activities which make up the in-field spectacle, meaning that engagement levels were very high.
Our students really get what it means to be a part of the day and they clearly help to make the day such a success. Our very best athletes have an incredible opportunity to showcase their talent, helping to set high standards and role model what it takes to perform at the level that they do, but the courage shown by others to get fully involved remains the standout feature of the day. The desire to do all that they can to perform to their personal best, to not let the side down and to hopefully enjoy their moment competing in front of such a large audience shows the values we are trying to encourage. The sense of community with students and staff coming together to lift each other up fully supports our 'everyone is welcome' approach to sport at Habs Elstree, helping to make this the very best day in our sporting calendar.
Congratulations to everyone who played their part in the day, to all our winners, to those setting their own personal bests and to the Green Dragons who took the overall title.
Summer 2024 Roll of Honor
Congratulations to the following pupils who are the winners of the school trophies for 2024.
CRICKET
Junior Doug Yeabsley Award – Ishaan (8R1)
Middle School Doug Yeabsley Award – Luca (10H2)
Senior School Stephen Charlwood Award – Tom (U6H2)
TENNIS
Junior Player of the Year– Xander (8C2)
Middle School Player of the Year – Sam (10S2)
Senior Player of the Year – James (L6S1)
ATHLETICS
Junior Athlete of the Year – Max (8M2)
Middle School Athlete of the Year – James (10M1)
Senior Athlete of the Year – Ore (11J1)
Old Habs News
Congratulations to Efe Uwaifo (Old Haberdasher 2013), who recently retained his British Triple Jump Men's title by setting a Personal Best with his sixth and final jump.
Video of his final jump: British Athletics | It’s not over until the final jump ✨ Efe Uwaifo drops a new PB of 16.22m to take the men’s triple jump crown � #UKChamps2024… | Instagram
An interview with Athletics Weekly: From Wall Street to the triple jump runway for Efe Uwaifo (youtube.com)
An announcement by Harrow Athletics Club: AW | � British Champion � An incredible performance from Efe Uwaifo as he retains his national triple jump crown with a personal best of… | Instagram
