The Sports Faculty

Sport continues to flourish at St. Olave’s and we are very proud of all that our students accomplish. The Sports’ Prefects have made a significant impact on the volume of clubs that are run and help us push towards our goal of every student finding at least one activity that they wish to continue with once they leave the school. As always the PE department is also indebted to those members of staff who voluntarily give up their time to support us by coaching teams, driving minibuses and arranging matches. Well done to everyone who has got involved, at whatever level and in whatever capacity.

Andy Kenward S___Director of Sport

Sports’ Prefects

There are many activities which the students enjoy and many of these are facilitated by the sports prefects. With a new cohort just starting it is appropriate at this stage to thank their predecessors for their support of sport at St Olave’s. Clubs in basketball, squash, badminton and table tennis for example ensure that many pupils can take advantage of what these sports have to offer. The table tennis teams have also played competitively and we recently took eight players to the South London individual championships where five players progressed through to the second round.

Cricket Leadership

The school continues its association with offering cricketers in Years 9 and 10 the opportunity to become cricket leaders in association with Bromley cricket. These leaders undertake sessions on coaching, officiating, groundsmanship and first aid before volunteering to lead sessions both in school and at their local clubs.

Sports Celebration Evening

On Friday 10th May, the PE department hosted the first Sports’ Celebration Evening which replaced the previous rugby and cricket dinners. Guest speaker and Old Olavian, David Akinluyi, proved inspirational and presented awards for in a multitude of activities in recognition of the hard work and dedication of the students.

New Fitness Suite

It was with a great sense of excitement and gratitude that the PE department were able to open the fitness suite this term and which has already proved to be a valuable and popular resource. Particular thanks go to the Parents’ Association and parents who donated equipment and funding to enable the suite to be filled with a range of fitness-related equipment.

rugby 1st XV Rugby

The 1st XV this year has had a successful season, which culminated in reaching round six of the Daily Mail Vase competition. The season began with an encouraging start with notable wins against Colfe’s, Reigate and Hayes before suffering some disappointing losses during the bad weather and examination period. The squad this year has shown resilience as no less than thirty five players have experienced 1st team rugby showing the strength and depth of the squad.

2nd XV Rugby

This year’s squad finished the season as one of the most successful team in the school, winning ten out of thirteen matches. There were big wins against Ravens Wood, Colfe’s and Cooper’s Coborn. A major factor that pervaded through the season was the heart that the team showed when under huge amounts of pressure, especially in defence. This came to fruition particularly during the 8 – 7 victory over Trinity, and 29 – 28 win over Chis & Sid, characterising the squads’ successful but hard fought season ably led by Captain Michael Yates (13O).

Under 16 Rugby

This has been an extremely successful season for the U16s, winning nine out of their eleven of their matches. Several of these victories were close but the team worked extremely hard for one another and developed the ability to close out matches. Notable wins over Dartford, Judd and Brighton College were particular highlights and particular thanks goes to Teddy McAleer (11K) and Joe Cordery (11K) for their leadership of the A and B teams respectively.

Under 15 Rugby

The U15 A and B teams both made indifferent starts to the 2012-13 season, failing to carry the momentum forward from their impressive U14 campaigns. Injuries throughout the squad led to the introduction of new players who made major contributions in many matches. Both teams form improved as the season went on, with the A team recording impressive wins against Wimbledon College and Brighton College. The B team improved similarly and capped the season with a fine victory over London Oratory.

Under 14 Rugby

It has been a tough year result wise and the U14s have struggled to win against some very large and skilful sides despite some very spirited performances. However their time will come but not without some hard work and some growth powder! Well done to the chaps who have been led by the irrepressible Henry Edwards (9C) in the A’s and Charlie Peck (9H) and Ciaran Twomey (9L) in the B’s. A big thank you to Mr Martin who has worked tirelessly with the B Team this season.

Under 13 Rugby

The U13s experienced numerous successes on the rugby pitch this season with convincing victories over strong rugby schools such as Skinners, Reigate and local rivals Chislehurst and Sidcup. Led excellently by skipper Finn Macpherson (8C) the rumbling pack were often dominant in the scrums with the likes of Sam Bullen (8L) and Temi Talabi (8B) throwing their weight around. In the backs, Charlie Stocks (8H) and James Tate (8C) dictated the team’s patterns effectively, enabling the outside backs to let loose with the likes of Tom Whichello (8C), Joshua Joseph (8B), and Adrian Ize-Iyamu (8L) running in the tries.

U12s Rugby

The U12 rugby squad have improved steadily over the season gaining impressive wins over St. Dunstan’s College and Reigate GS.The ‘A’ team have been captained extremely well by Sam Eldridge (7L). The ‘B’ team have been well run by Mr Gyford and Captain James Blackwood (7H).

Rugby 7s

The rugby 7s squads trained busily in preparation for their entry into local, county and national competitions. The U16 came 3rd in their pool for the county competition, while the U13s reached the semi-finals of the Judd 7s, narrowly losing to the hosts.

South America Rugby Tour

This summer a cohort of 30 players from the current Sixth Form embarked upon a once in a lifetime rugby tour to Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. The team were accompanied by 1st XV coach Mr. White and Director of Sport Mr. Kenward, as well as Mr. Espejo and the returning Mr. Harding.

The group’s first destination was Chile, where they trained on the beach to the entertainment of the locals, who were not accustomed to seeing people playing rugby wearing vests during their winter. The team then moved from their hotel in the city of Vina Del Mar to the capital Santiago to play their first game against Craighouse School, with the mountains providing a scenic backdrop for the match. Alas, the team lost, but for a first outing against an established school team they were pleased with their performance.

The team then moved onto Mendoza, Argentina. Here the team were fortunate enough to experience white water rafting over the freezing rapids and zip-lining across the river. That evening, the boys also got their first taste of the fabled Argentine steak. This was certainly the main reason Mr. White had come to South America, and everyone was thoroughly fed in preparation for the games against Los Tordos A & B teams the next day. The B team game was first, and was a closely fought battle, with Olave’s going ahead first. However, Los Tordos fought back and the game was lost narrowly. The A game was a similar affair, with Olave’s playing some excellent attacking rugby, and fierce defence against a much larger opposition. Despite a hat trick from Will Searle, the boys were unfortunate to lose a tight game 24-17. The disappointment was soon forgotten though, with the post-match hospitality being of an unrivalled standard. Plate after plate of red meat was provided for us, and the team went home for a second night with their stomachs bursting.

After Mendoza, the team travelled to Buenos Aires. Whilst there, the group visited the Don Silvano gaucho ranch, where we were greeted by the hosts with empanadas, just in case people weren’t full enough. It seemed clear why our oppositions were always so much bigger than us; they don’t stop eating! At the ranch the team took part in horse riding, watching a gaucho display and looking around the farm at all the animals. The day was topped off with a music and dance show, which was of course accompanied with vast amounts of food. Some of the boys were fortunate enough to be asked to go and dance, and everyone went on stage to do a rendition of Jerusalem for our hosts. We then had to recuperate for our game against Belgrano the next day. The boys as ever expected a physical battle and that is again what they got. Despite the team’s best efforts, they were not able to end their losing streak but what was key, again was the way they fought against such large and skilful opposition. The food was delicious as usual, and the group then went onto watch the Belgrano 1st XV play in one of their National League matches. Of course the team were supporting Belgrano, who were victorious.

The cohort then crossed borders again when they got the ferry over to Montevideo, Uruguay. The sole purpose of this journey was to play the Uruguayan National U18 team. Everyone was excited to be playing in a national stadium, especially one where England had played CONSUR XV weeks before. The spirit of the team before the game was high, realising the implications of beating a national team. The game started well with Olave’s going 3-0 with a penalty from Alex Weeks. However, the game went somewhat downhill after that, with the team losing 71-3.

The team then headed back to Buenos Aires for their final match against St. Alban’s. This game followed the pattern of the other games where despite some excellent play from Olave’s, the opposition was simply too big and powerful. It was unfortunate to end their games without a victory, but looking at the bigger picture, the team having realised how far they had come as a group of players, hoping to take the bond formed between the different year groups forward into this season. The tour was rounded off by a final few nights in Iguazu. Here the team visited the great Iguazu Falls, viewing them from both the Brazilian and Argentine sides. Whilst in Brazil, the group got to experience a super-carnivalvariety-show-extravaganza, where again the food was in plentiful supply.

The team and coaches then prepared themselves for the long journey back which included three flights stopping at Buenos Aires, Madrid and London. For many, the tour was one of the greatest adventures they had ever been on and are ever likely to go on. The cohesion between the two year groups and preparing for the season ahead were the main aims of the tour, and they were certainly fulfilled, with any year 12/13 barrier completely broken down. In this regard, the tour was an absolute success and the team are excited to get the new season underway.

Ben Cole, Tour Captain