Sport Round Up: Autumn Half Term 2024 

As the autumn leaves begin to fall, Haileybury’s sports fields have been alive with the sound of cheering and the thud of boots on turf. Our pupil athletes have demonstrated remarkable tenacity and grit across a wide range of sports, showcasing the strength of Haileybury’s programme. From rugby to hockey, netball to golf, our students have risen to every challenge with determination and skill. 

Here are some of the highlights and photos from the past five weeks of competition.

Rugby

The boys’ rugby season kicked off with a bang, the 1st XV scoring 43 points in victory over Felsted, with England international Fraser scoring an impressive five tries. The U15A team has been particularly noteworthy, amassing over 200 points in just seven matches and winning six of them. Their 24-12 triumph over Reeds marked a stunning reversal from last year’s 50-point defeat, and illustrates the progress they are making. U15C rugby are also in great form, winning in their final match before Half Term break.

Hockey

On the hockey pitch, the girls’ 1st XI remains unbeaten, proving themselves formidable opponents in both the national cup and England Tier 1 competitions. The team’s Tier 1 victories over Framlingham (4-0) and Ipswich (2-1) have been particularly impressive. Meanwhile, the U15A squad has been on fire in defence of their national crown, netting 55 goals in 12 games while conceding just three. The U12 girls showed that the future is in good hands too, with a county cup triumph.

Netball

Netball has seen its share of success, with the U19 squad qualifying for the regional stages of the national cup for the second consecutive year. Lucy and Charlotte have been ruthless in the shooting circle, while Daisy, Brogan, Charlotte and Alice have controlled the midcourt with aplomb.

Lacrosse

The lacrosse teams have been gaining valuable experience, notching wins against both Marlborough and Bedford. Fresh from representing Wales in the U20 World Championships, Maddie has been in particularly dynamic form.

Swimming

In the pool, swimming squads have performed admirably at the England Schools Championships and in friendly meets. The league galas are set to begin after Half Term, promising fierce competitive action in November.

Golf

The golf team has successfully navigated past St. Edmund’s and Brentwood in cup play despite challenging weather conditions. With one round still to play, they appear fully dialled in for upcoming challenges.

Football

The girls’ football squad, led by the galvanising Paisley, shows promise for the future as they train hard. Meanwhile, the boys’ 1st XI is through to the third round of the national cup after a strong 4-1 victory over Norwich, the next round of the cup for the boys is in early November.

Rackets

The rackets season got off to a fine start with Flynn and Benji achieving success during an away trip to Tonbridge. Darcey and Isla also played well as they hone their partnership. Queen’s beckons in December.

Badminton

Our badminton teams have travelled to Canterbury and Felsted. Minh particularly impressed in Kent as the girls came out on top 7-2 while the boys faced a closely fought battle ending 3-6. Their Essex away games saw them win all their encounters, and it is great to see the squad working so hard on court and in the gym and reaping the rewards in matchplay.

Basketball

Happily, our basketball squad has been re galvanised and several fixtures are in the diary. Our youthful team is gaining experience from the two encounters thus far and the future for the basketball club looks very exciting. 

Cricket

Only a tiny percentage of schools are able to play cricket in September, and we are privileged to be one of them. Flynn took a career-best 7-34 to etch his name on the honours board.

“Amidst sometimes glorious sunshine and torrential rain, often at the same time (literally!), our pupils have enjoyed plenty of opportunity for participation in competitive action across all our Autumn sports, with 62 teams having taken to the field across 10 sports, and 249 fixtures having been played in the opening six weeks of term,” shared Andrew Searson. Director of Sport. “There have been some stellar performances on the pitch at all ages and abilities and some ideally pitched block fixtures, with exactly half of the aforementioned matches resulting in victory. Just as importantly off the pitch there is a huge amount for Haileybury pupils to reflect proudly upon with sportsmanship having been consistently and unfailingly demonstrated,” he added.

As we head into half term, our athletes are already poised for the many super sporting challenges that lie ahead in November and December.