NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL
The Senior Rugby tour to North America last July proved to be hugely successful and was ideal preparation for the season ahead. The Michaelmas Term saw the School’s most successful rugby season to date. Across all age groups a 65 per cent win ratio was achieved but it was at the senior end of the School where some eye-catching statistics and achievements stood out. Across the 1st, 2nd and 3rd XV teams 35 matches were played and 31 were won. The 1st XV beat The King’s School, Canterbury for the first time in 12 years and convincingly overcame Emanuel School in the annual United Westminster Schools clash. The 1st XV also reached the last 16 of the national competition to cap an outstanding season. Representative selection across all age groups and sports has been impressive, but a special mention must go to Harvey Beaton who has just been selected for the England Under 18 Rugby tour to South Africa in August. Despite the snow disrupting fixtures, the 1st VII Netball team continued to dominate opposition, bringing home bronze medals from the Under 19 Benenden Tournament and returning undefeated from their South Africa tour in February. This year we hosted our inaugural Under 16s Netball tournament and we finished runners up. In block fixtures the Under 16s were undefeated for the second year running.
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Boys Hockey saw the Under 14A, Under 15A and 2nd XI teams lead the way achieving 60 per cent win ratios across all matches played. The Under 13 team won the prestigious Maylam Cup beating some powerhouse Hockey schools along the way, and the 1st XI recorded notable wins against Caterham and The King’s School, Canterbury. This summer has seen the new major sport of Girls’ Cricket going from strength to strength. The girls have been playing regular fixtures and their development with the hard ball really has been outstanding. We are truly excited about the future of Girls Cricket as Sutton Valence and I am delighted to announce that we have appointed Kent cricketer, Hannah Jelfs to take the sport to the next level and we have also become an official Kent Girls Cricket Hub, hosting the Under 12 to Under 16 sessions throughout the year. The boys’ winter nets programme and the tour to South Africa ensured teams were fully prepared for this season. A young 1st XI has performed well with stand-out wins against The Forty Club, Reigate Grammar, Sevenoaks and The Judd. The Under 15B team remain unbeaten for the second year running, and the Under 13C team have also won all of their matches. Girls Tennis thrives with the 1st Team, Under 14A and Under 13A teams leading the way. The 1st Team won 80 per cent