FEATURED IN THIS EDITION:
CELEBRATING QE SEVENS
GYM TRAINING: FIT FOR LIFE
WATER POLO SENIORS’ SWANSONG
EXPERT TIPS FROM EX-RUGBY PRO
FENCING FOR FIRST-YEAR BOYS
DOLOMITE DELIGHTS ON SKI TRIP
AWARDS GALORE AT RUGBY DINNER
OE SPOTLIGHT ON EX-RUGBY PRO
The 49th Annual QE Barnet Rugby Sevens Tournament was a super celebration of the game, bringing many of the country’s leading rugby schools to north London.
QE hosted the U14s as usual, while, with Barnet Elizabethans RFC’s pitches unavailable, local friends and sporting rivals Haberdashers’ Boys’ hosted the U16s.
Head of Rugby Ollie Di-Lieto said: “It was a great day, and, for once, the sun shone. Ipswich and Berkhamsted were worthy winners of the U14 and U16 cups respectively. Our own teams faced tough opposition and, sadly, lost all the games they played. But they played some exciting attacking rugby and provided plenty of highlights to remember the day by.”
At Queen’s Road, the U14s turned up the pressure in attack effectively as their group stage progressed.
Year 9's Junu Park made many metres with his direct running, yet tries often came from moving the ball into space on the outside. An occasionally porous defence and too many turnovers at the breakdown made building sustained pressure hard.
The final U14 game against Robert Clack School saw QE come agonisingly close, needing just one more try to take the victory.
"All our games were played in a good spirit and with great commitment against some of the best rugby schools around,” said Mr Di-Lieto. He thanked the PE & Games department, the London Society of Referees, pupil helpers, FQE volunteers and event sponsors inspiresport.
The winning teams were:
U14 Cup: Ipswich School
U14 Plate: Tonbridge School
U16 Cup: Berkhamsted School
U16 Plate: Merchant Taylors’ School
The PE department has introduced a dedicated Strength & Conditioning module to the curriculum for Years 9, 10 and 11 as part of its commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles.
The initiative includes teaching on various aspects of gym training, including different training methods, anatomy & physiology, and how to draw up a gym programme.
Director of Sport Jonathan Hart says: “We’re excited about this initiative. The lessons provide a comprehensive understanding of physical training. They help pupils: make informed choices about their health and fitness; foster positive habits that can be carried into adulthood; and develop a lifelong appreciation of physical wellness.
“The introduction of this module ensures that all students, regardless of their involvement in team sports, can engage in, and understand the benefits of, structured physical training.”
The impact is already being felt among the boys.
"Learning
about the gym has really helped me when revising for my mocks. I spend the morning revising, go to the gym, and then feel energised for the afternoon. It has also made me more powerful in rugby: I play on the wing and feel stronger when I take the ball into contact."
Rameel Khan, Year 11
"Although I'm not in many School teams, I now have weights at home and try to incorporate them into my daily routine, and it boosts my mood."
Danyal Rahim, Year 10
As their time at QE drew to a close, the Year 13 water polo squad were determined to finish on a high.
They duly reached the semi-finals of the National Plate, playing St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College, from Yorkshire, and missing out on the final by a single goal. The seniors then made their mark one final time, achieving their goal of a top-six place among London schools, despite losing to Haberdashers’ Boys’ in the regional finals.
Head of Aquatics Richard Scally says: “I have always believed this group was special. Balancing training with the demands of their final year, including exams and university applications, has been no small feat, but their dedication has never wavered.”
Captain Avi Juneja, who plays club water polo at Enfield, summed it up: "We wanted to make the most of this opportunity and give a good representation of ourselves, as we've worked really hard over the years. I'm really going to miss playing with these boys.”
The Under 15s have also made it to their National Plate final, taking place this week in Northampton, while the U13s start their national competition at home, with QE hosting five other schools.
Several senior players visited Cambridge to watch two former QE water polo captains, PhD student Alex Norcliffe (OE 2009–2016) and undergraduate Ben Rock (OE 2016–2023), help the home side towards a comfortable victory in the annual Varsity Match against Oxford. Both were coached by Mr Scally.
Former international Tim Stimpson shared valuable insights from a wealth of experience at the highest level when he led an inspiring rugby coaching session with the Year 8 squad.
Director of Sport Jonathan Hart said: “His engaging and hands-on approach gave the boys a fresh perspective on movement, positioning, and teamwork. It was fantastic for our students and staff to learn from such an accomplished player, and we thank Tim for his time and insight."
Tim also spoke to the PE department about his involvement with player safety specialists Hedkayse, introducing their R5 headguard, which offers full head coverage and uses a hi-tech foam.
“As a school, we maintain a keen interest in safety and player welfare, and there are certainly some promising innovations taking place in the industry,” said Mr Hart.
Tim Stimpson focused on creating space and opportunities on the field. Specifically, he looked at running lines both with and without the ball to 'fix' defenders and then target space, or ‘soft shoulders’, either side of them.
That might be someone running a hard inside support line, or the ball-carrier stepping late to the outside to try to draw in the next defender in the defensive line before offloading to a team-mate. Working hard off the ball might include, for example, looping from the inside to the outside without the ball in attack to create a numerical advantage in the wide channel. For defence, he spoke about keeping your feet active and always moving forwards so that you do not get caught square or flat-footed.
This was a fun and energetic session. We focused on one of our strike moves that we will be using next year, and adapted it so that we can break the gain line more.
Year 8 captain Saami
Mansur
Born in 1973 in Wakefield, Tim Stimpson is a former rugby union international full-back with an impressive club record.
He won a record five consecutive Premiership titles with Newcastle Falcons and Leicester Tigers. He made 19 appearances for England and was also part of the successful 1997 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
He played for Perpignan before returning to his native Yorkshire, where he played for Leeds Tykes until his retirement as a player in 2006. RUGBY
In its latest partnership with sports businesses based on the neighbouring Queen’s Road industrial estate, QE is now providing an introductory fencing course for Year 7.
The School has teamed up with Fighting Fit Fencing to provide expert coaching from certified instructors at lunchtime for the boys. The business supplies all the equipment and has electronic scoring systems on each piste.
Assistant Head (Pupil Involvement) Crispin Bonham-Carter said: “This is a fantastic new partnership. I was there to see our first group of 20 Year 7s put through their paces – and they soon looked like they had been doing it all their life. Our Elizabethan forebears would be proud!”
The course is being run alongside QE’s established after-school fencing club provided by the Paul Davis Fencing Academy.
The new partnership follows one with Anima Gymnastics covered in the Autumn Term issue of Sports Bulletin There may be potential in future to provide pathways for more advanced fencers within the School’s programme.
Eighty boys from Years 8-13 took to the slopes at Folgaria in the Italian Dolomites during this year’s “unforgettable” QE ski trip.
PE teacher Guy Ashby, one of ten accompanying staff, said: “Each day was filled with exciting runs – and laughter – while the evenings brought cozy dinners at the hotel, where boys shared stories of the day’s adventures and built lasting friendships.”
The trip was open to all abilities, from beginner to seasoned skier. “The instructors were patient and skilled, ensuring everyone felt comfortable and confident,” said Mr Ashby. Skiing conditions were excellent; the views simply “stunning”
An opportunity to try ‘tubing’ – riding on an inner tube – brought more thrills, while boys also enjoyed the historic village’s more sedate charms and relished a visit to a pizzeria.
“By the end, everyone had not only improved their skiing skills but also created memories that would last a lifetime,” said Mr Ashby.
Skiing was extremely fun as there were a variety of different slopes and really good instructors.
Neil Bhabra, of Year 9, urging other boys to “give it a go” in the future
Memories to last a lifetime
One highlight was the naming of the Rugby Team of the Year, while Year 12 Sports Leaders Aadam Aslam, Zain Ahmed and Hashim Khan were singled out for their help with Year 7 rugby. The guest speaker was former First XV captain Nabil Haque (OE 2010–2017), now an architect in Berlin. Nabil played university rugby at Cambridge and gained a double-first degree with distinction in Architecture there before taking up a scholarship at Yale.
Diners learned about research findings as well as looking at the season’s statistics (up to the date of the dinner). These revealed a positive picture: 24 teams represented QE in 123 fixtures involving more than 400 boys; teams notched up 64 wins, five draws and 54 losses; and more than 2,000 points were scored There were tributes to QE’s former Head of Rugby, James Clarke (OE 1999–2004), who died in January in Bermuda.
Participants in schools rugby were asked about the individual benefits for them:
Presented to the following Year 13 pupils: Selim Abdul, Ayan Basharat, John Chum, Daniel Ghorbanian, Akaash Gill, David Hirtopanu, Ahmed Jesmin, Aaron Rodrigo, Ahmed Seidahmed, Ankit Singh, Ubayd Uddin, Keethan Varatharajah, Zeyuan Wu and Kailun Zhou.
This year, Players’ Player awards, voted for by the boys, were given to both an A team and a B team player in Years 7-11:
1 2 3 STARTING BACKS 15 11 14 10 9 12 13 8 6 7 4 5
Former professional rugby player Aaron Liffchak is gaining national recognition for his research into links between school sport and both academic performance and wellbeing.
Aaron (OE 1996–2003) has successfully increased participation in sport at Mill Hill School, where he is Director of Sport & Director of Rugby. Having gained his first degree in Psychology and Business while still playing rugby professionally, he has just started a Master’s degree in Residential Education.
“Research I have completed at Mill Hill School using over 800 pupils has shown a significant positive correlation between the amount of sport you take part in and how you perform academically. In particular, those who competed in more sport outperformed their predicted grades and were more likely to go to a Russell Group university.” The evidence pointed to positive effects on behaviour and even on school attendance, thus demonstrating, Aaron believes, that sporting participation underpins overall wellbeing.
Through his professional role, he still sees many of his QE teachers at Mill Hill v QE fixtures and competitions. “It’s always a highlight coming back for the QE Sevens and looking to see if my England shirt is still up.”
His best friends at QE – Dean Miller, Edward Andrews, Lewis Crabtree, Sam McMahon and George Downing – remain among his closest friends and were best men at his wedding. “We often reflect fondly on our times at QE.”
Aaron’s career path – QE pupil, then professional sportsman and now senior teacher & educationalist – gives him a unique perspective. Here are his tips for today’s pupils:
Enjoy your time at QE and take advantage of all the amazing extra-curricular opportunities, especially sports you may not be able to play when you leave, like water polo and Fives. When you leave, you will wish you had taken part in more.
Learn to balance. Life isn’t about stopping everything to focus on just one thing; it’s about learning to manage your time, understanding priorities, and, as my research shows, understanding that your physical health has a direct correlation to your mental and emotional health (as well as your academic performance).
Don’t burn bridges: you never know who you will meet in a job interview!
Nearly all of the jobs I have ever had have come from a previous relationship – from friends and teachers at QE, to people I played rugby with.
From 2002 to 2008, I played professional rugby for Saracens. I had the privilege of learning from world-class coaches and developing skills not just in rugby, but also in leadership, teamwork, and personal discipline. Some of my proudest achievements include representing England in various teams [and] captaining the Great Britain Maccabiah Rugby Team. I have dedicated my career, post-rugby, to fostering the development and well-being of young people through sport. My teaching career began at Trinity School. In 2017, I joined Mill Hill School and was quickly promoted to Director of Sport.