SEVERN SHIELD
RGS WORCESTER V KING’S SCHOOL WORCESTER TUESDAY 14 OCTOBER | 1ST XI 6.15PM| 2ND XI 5.15PM Worcester International Hockey Centre, WR3 7SW
RGS Worcester is looking forward to hosting the 1st and 2nd XI Hockey fixtures against King’s School this evening at our International Hockey Centre. If you feel able to do so, please do donate to St Richard’s Hospice, such an important local charity.
Thank you to Miss Walton, Head of Hockey, and her team of Hockey coaches for arranging these fixtures and supporting the development of the players across the age groups. With RGS pupils now going on to great success in their Hockey, including playing for England, Wales and Great Britain, they are being inspired by expert coaching.
The Hockey programme at RGS is extensive with 22 Girls’ Hockey teams and over 175 outdoor Hockey fixtures this term, as well as a full Indoor Hockey programme with fixtures and competitions. The Boys’ Hockey programme is also developing and we are running holiday Hockey camps to support the development of the sport locally. With two water-based astroturf pitches under lights at the Worcester International Hockey Centre and a brand new astroturf surface under lights just completed at RGS The Grange, a practice pitch at RGS Worcester and an indoor Hockey facility in our sportshall, it is excellent to be able to provide exceptional high-performance surfaces which encourage players to develop their skills and teamwork.
The RGS 1st XI team has already played 16 fixtures including a pre-season tournament in Nottingham in which they came runners-up. This followed a successful tour to South Africa for Hockey and Netball over the summer. The 2nd XI has also been playing excellent Hockey as has our 3rd XI. At RGS, Hockey is developing at great pace, and we are pleased to be challenging the very best Hockey schools in the country now.
We look forward to tonight’s matches which will be competitively played on the pitch, in a positive spirit between the teams. Thank you to both sets of coaches and to parents, pupils and other supporters for joining us and cheering on your team in this showcase for Girls’ sport.
John Pitt Executive Head of The RGS Worcester Family of Schools
It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this evening’s Severn Shield fixture between King’s Worcester and RGS Worcester. As I experience this celebrated sporting rivalry for the first time, I’m struck by the strength of tradition and the shared passion for sport that unite our two schools. Whether you are a player, coach, parent, supporter, or alumnus, thank you for being part of what promises to be a memorable occasion.
I recognise that fixtures between King’s and RGS are always more than just matches - they are moments of pride, performance, and, I hope, of partnership. The Severn Shield, alongside other fixtures between our two schools, stands as one of the highlights of our sporting calendar, showcasing the spirit that thrives across both communities.
This season, our 1st XI has demonstrated outstanding resilience and unity across a demanding fixture list. From our youngest pupils discovering the joy of sport to our senior players competing at the highest level, I am pleased that hockey continues to flourish across the King’s Foundation.
I’m grateful to the staff from both schools whose dedication makes fixtures like this possible through their hard work and dedication. My best wishes go to both teams for a spirited and skilful contest, played in the best traditions of school sport.
Ben Charles Head of Foundation, The King’s School, Worcester
1ST XI HOCKEY SQUAD 2025
COACHES: MISS SALLY WALTON OLY AND MR STEFAN SEKULA
Lexi Agoston, Fynn Butler (Capt), Isabelle Fawcett, Julia Gebhardt, Isla Goold, Lara Grace, Martina Grace (Vice Capt), Talulla Gregory, Maddie Lavoipierre, Holly Potter, Poppy Parker, Daya Sanghera, Olivia Southall, Eden Williamson, Daisy Williams, Poppy Wrout
CAPTAIN’S PROFILE
NAME: Fynn Butler
POSITION: Centre Back (defence)
SPORTING IDOL: Maria Verschoor
BEST SPORTING ACHIEVEMENT: Being trusted to be Captain of such a great team this season
WARM UP PLAYLIST MUST HAVE: Miserlou - Dick Dale and his Del-Tones
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Scoring my first goal for the 1st XI team at Malvern College in Year Eleven
1ST XI HOCKEY SQUAD 2025
COACHES: MRS LORA MILLER-SYMONDS AND MISS PIP SANDERS
Charlotte Bailey, Kitty Bartholomew, Martha Burden, Izzy Da Silva, Daisy Fitton, Jess Fox, Bryony Gillgrass, Grace Jansen van Vuuren, Stephanie Kent, Eva Mico, Amelia Moore, Hermione Pratt, Imogen Taft, Anna Wales (Vice Capt), Phoebe Webster (Capt), Eleanor Witt
CAPTAIN’S PROFILE
NAME: Phoebe Webster
POSITION: Midfield
SPORTING IDOL: Simone Biles
BEST SPORTING ACHIEVEMENT: Getting to the Plate Final for the first team in Year Eleven
WARM UP PLAYLIST MUST HAVE: Katy on a Mission - Katy B
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Winning Severn Shield 2024
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO HOCKEY
The match is played between two teams of 11 players (10 field players and the Goalkeeper). The match starts with a push-back from the centre of the field. Players move the ball by hitting it with their sticks. The ball must be passed or dribbled at all times down the field of play using the flat side of the stick.
A goal is scored when a ball crosses the goal line having been touched in the scoring circle by an attacking player.
Players are not allowed to use their feet, hands, or any other body part to control the ball, and they cannot obstruct players.
If a player commits a foul, the opposing team is awarded a free hit.
The types of fouls that can be committed during a game include:
FOOT FOUL: when a player uses their feet to control the ball.
OBSTRUCTION: when a player obstructs the path of another player who is trying to move towards the ball.
STICK FOUL: when a player hits another player’s stick instead of the ball.
DANGEROUS PLAY: when a player takes an action that could cause injury to themselves or others.
BACKSTICKS: when a player hits the ball with the rounded side of the stick instead of the flat side.
If a foul is committed inside the shooting circle, the opposing team is awarded a penalty corner. During a penalty corner, the attacking team injects the ball from the baseline to outside the edge of the circle, and the defending team must defend from within their goal.
The game is either played in two halves or four quarters depending on the level of performance.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THIS EVENING
At tonight’s match there will be a charitable collection in aid of St Richard’s Hospice.
St Richard’s Hospice was founded in 1984 and is a local independent, Worcestershire charity. They care for adults with a serious progressive illness who have complex needs which cannot be met by other services. These include cancer and neurological, respiratory, cardiac and renal conditions. St Richard’s Hospice aims to improve the quality of life of adults from diagnosis, during treatment and to their last days. St Richard’s Hospice supports more than 1,220 patients, loved ones, carers and the bereaved every day – at the hospice, in people’s own homes or in the community.
The majority of income is from public donations; this includes gifts in wills, one off or regular donations, fundraising events and personal challenges, trading, legacies and grants from trusts and business sponsorship. Approximately a quarter of income is funded from the NHS.
With your kind donations, St Richard’s Hospice can continue their fantastic work in providing those in need with the vital support where and when it is needed most.
We wish both teams all the very best and hope that the 2025 ‘Severn Shield’ will be another memorable event to celebrate Girls’ sport.
Miss Sally Walton OLY Head of Hockey RGS Worcester
Mrs Lora Miller-Symonds Director of Sport King’s School Worcester
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Cast your vote for today’s standout player of the match!
2ND XI HOCKEY SQUAD 2025
COACHES: MR JAMES GERRISH AND MR ADAM WITT
2ND XI HOCKEY SQUAD 2025
COACHES: MRS KATIE KNOTT
Verity Bond Evans, Hannah Darby, Kat Frost, Sophie Goodwin, Olivia Harkness, Katie Hodgkins, Emily Jackson, Flo Kelly, Harriet Murphy, Nell Nicholls, Grace Norris, Anya Peddareddy, Holly Prudence, Poppy Prudence, Emily Walsh, Cleo Whitbread
Florence Bellairs, Abigail Culwick, Sophie Earp, Lucie Evans, Lily Firkins, Katie Fleming, Sophie Guest, Lili Hung, Daisy Jones, Olivia Kent, Emily Legge, Lola Martin, Heidi Miller, Ella Purves, Liv Smith, Henrietta Venables, Matilda White