Page 6 - KHVIII The Arrow - Issue 04 - Sept 2014.indd

06

SportS News…

rugby

The 1st XV has made an encouraging
start to the 2014 - 2015 season. The work
done by the boys who attended pre-
season training suggested an improving
attitude and promise for the future.
Matches have been played against our
local rivals, Princethorpe College, against
Wolverhampton Grammar School, as
well as against new opponents Staf ord
Grammar School and three short
matches at a tournament staged by
Wrekin College. We lost 12 to 20 against
Princethorpe in a f ercely contested
match which saw our small squad
improve vastly on last year’s f fty point
capitulation. Another narrow loss by 12
to 28 against Wolverhampton Grammar
set the team up for a very good 10 to 10
draw against Staf ord Grammar.
In the Wrekin College tournament we
beat Shrewsbury College 2nd XV 19 - 0,
Shrewsbury College 1st XV 10 - 5 and lost Girls tackle new
to Wrekin 0 -3 - “a feast of football!”
Lower down the school there were rugby challenge
convincing early wins for the U15 and
U13 teams.
The group of players who have stuck
with their school rugby football are This season has seen the launch of a new appeals most of all. Making tackles is
hoping that a number of boys new to the sport for girls with the debut of their rugby something that we’ve seen the boys do
school or to rugby football at King Henry team. A squad of senior girls has trained for years and all wanted to try. It’s been
VIII will attend training regularly and twice a week and played in their f rst 7s really good to have had this opportunity
commit themselves to the rugby football tournaments at Berkhamsted and then in at Henry’s and I want to carry on at
programme. the National Schools 7s at Rosslyn Park. university.”
We are looking forward to the matches Some of the girls have been keen for ages In the new academic year the team would
ahead and especially to a successful run to start playing rugby and it seemed like like to play some 15-aside f xtures
in the Nat West Trophy competition. a good time to start it up. They’ve been as well as developing the 7s. With
Mr Wilkes extremely committed, asking for extra some very enthusiastic Year 10 girls
training and designing their own kit. I now eligible to play, the future looks
Golf knew that there were some really talented promising for the squad. Mr Jones
athletes amongst them so thought
Mr Jones
that rugby could provide them with
complementary skills for their hockey
and netball.
In their f rst tournament the team reached
In their f rst tournament the team reached
the Shield B Final where they lost narrowly
the Shield B Final where they lost narrowly
to Richard Hale School 25-10. We were
the only school from the Midlands to send
the only school from the Midlands to send
a team to the National 7s and the girls
competed extremely bravely against more
competed extremely bravely against more
experienced and often bigger teams. The
During the Easter holidays Josh Davenport, highlight of the day was the selection of
Year 10, won the Warwickshire Schools two then Year 11 girls, Phoebe Aston and
Championships at U16 and U18 level. Rachael Abbey, for England U18 trials at
The U16 win allows Josh to represent the end of June.
Warwickshire at the English Schools U16
When asked why it had proved so popular
Championships later this year When asked why it had proved so popular
with the girls, captain Elisha Whelan,
The last King Henry VIII School winner on the recently awarded ‘Sportswoman of the
trophy was David Hayes in 1998 and 1999. Year’ at school, said, “I think the contact