SPORTING OVERVIEW PHIL GREENAWAY
showing the notable strength and ability across the year group. Promising performances of eighth for the A boat and twenty-second for the B boat provided confidence for the Year 10s ahead of the upcoming regatta season. The Junior Sculling Head provided two Year 9 boats the opportunity to finish the term positively, with the A boat finishing fifteenth and the B boat thirty-sixth out of 40 crews. This was the first experience of racing for many of the rowers, and with the event being held at the venue for rowing at the London 2012 Olympic Games, it was a memorable start to their racing careers. With the event being held at the venue for rowing at the London 2012 Olympic Games, it was a memorable start to their racing careers Attention now turns to training camps in Pangbourne and Bled, Slovenia, ahead of the summer regatta season, with the focus on the National Schools’ Regatta in May and Henley Royal Regatta in June. Congratulations to all the pupils who row for the College, with performances and ambitions continuing to grow each season. Thank you also to all the coaches who have provided so much support to the pupils over an exciting season.
Rowing Tristan Mayglothling
Rowing at the Dulwich College Boat Club (DCBC) has con- tinued to grow, with increasing numbers of pupils coming to the Boat Club in Putney to experience the sport, and with some excellent top-level performances. Following a training camp over Easter in Chester and Dur- ham, more than 90 pupils represented the College at the National Schools’ Regatta, where the 1st VIII finished as winners of the B final, ranking ninth in the country, a Col- lege record. In addition, the 2nd VIII came eighth and the J15 A boat came twelfth. The 1st VIII went on to win the Junior 8s at Marlow International Regatta before defeating Bryanston College on Day One of Henley Royal Regatta. A second crew raced in the University Temple Challenge Cup qualifiers, which provided an invaluable opportunity to those seeking to represent the 1st VIII in future seasons. The 2023 season started with nine senior crews racing at Pairs Head, followed by some promising performances at Fours Head in November. The next day, at Star Head, there were three wins for the Senior and J16 crews, including winning the Head of the River as the fastest crew of the day. In addition, two Year 10 crews demonstrated improved ability, and our new Year 9 rowers, racing for the first time in two octuples, represented the College extremely well. At the end of the Michaelmas term, 29 rowers went on training camp in Seville, where they raced in the prestigious Andalusian Championships. Up against some strong opposition, including both St Edward’s School and Shiplake, the senior boys raced well in tough but warm conditions. Lent term saw a mixture of races and fixtures on the Tideway, ahead of the Schools’ Head of the River Race. Fixtures against Reading Blue Coat, Radley College, Ema- nuel School, St Edward’s School and Hampton School showed excellent strength and depth throughout the year groups, with 150 pupils rowing, and over 100 pupils rep- resenting the College. In March, seven crews from Years 10 to 13 raced at the Schools’ Head of the River, held on the Thames, home of DCBC. The 1st VIII had a clash and a broken blade, but finished a commendable thirteenth with the 2nd VIII finishing ninth. A 3rd VIII crew made up of Seniors and Year 11 rowers finished in sixth place, as did our Year 11 A boat, with the B boat finishing eighth,
Writing the Sporting Overview for the Alleynian never gets any easier despite this being the tenth time of asking. There is so much to celebrate and a plethora of people to thank as we continue to strive to inspire pupils to value being physically active and engaging in sport.
P hysical activity continues to play an important role in the weekly routines as we strive to help pupils find balance in their lives, a balance that we know to be vital in ensuring that they live long and happy lives. The benefits of playing sport are well documented, but I make no apologies for referencing leadership, independence, problem-solving, commitment, humility, resilience and con- fidence among the benefits of sporting involvement. These, alongside physical and mental health benefits, are reason enough to place sport at the core of any school curriculum. It has been another wonderful year for engagement in sport at the College, with over 80% of pupils representing the school on a regular basis. We have seen impressive performances from our pupils right across the College. Seeing so many students strive to give of their best has been an absolute pleasure. This year has seen us achieve success on the national stage across a number of sports, both individually and within the team environment. Those successes are quite rightly cele- brated in the sports-specific reports that follow, but it would be wrong of me not to reference the wonderful day at Burton Albion, which saw our U13 and U15 teams both reach the ISFA (Independent Schools Football Association) finals. Congratulations to all involved, in what was a great occasion. I would also like to mention our senior swim team, who had a memorable day at the Bath Cup taking silver; our U13 cricket team, who lost with the last ball, in a brilliant national final, to the King’s School Macclesfield; the fencing team, who won the national Epee Championships; our U15 water polo team, who took silver in the National Finals; our cross country team for their continued success; the ski racing team for their success at the National Indoor Championships; and, above all else, every pupil who has pulled on the famous black and
blue hoops and represented the College. It is wonderful to see how proud they are, and how much they enjoy working hard together towards a common goal. I would particularly like to wish our leavers the very best of luck as they begin life beyond Dulwich. They are all ready to go and make their mark on the world. Please do come back and let us know how you are getting on. It is always a highlight to hear from OAs on how their careers are progressing, and what they are doing in the sporting field. I would like to say a huge thank you to all the parents who have taken the time to come and watch their sons on a Saturday, washed their kits, driven them to fixtures, espe- cially during the train strikes, consoled them after disap- pointments, kept them humble and been a friendly face on pitchside, poolside or riverbank, been part of a committee, helped fundraise or simply said thank you. Your help and support are extremely valued. To the staff, thank you for all the time and effort that you give in support of the boys. Your hard work and dedication are very much appreciated. We wish Mr Kelly all the very best as he explores a career outside of teaching, and Mr McFarlane as he heads to Repton College, Dubai. Earlier in the year we also bid farewell to Mr Habib in his role as our lead football coach, Mr Hodgson as our strength and conditioning coach, Miss Scutts as our lead rowing coach for the U14s and Miss Hizzett as our U16 lead coach. As always, a huge thank you to all the support staff who go the extra mile to help the boys, be it the grounds staff coming in at 2am to turn on the sprinklers, the medical team patching the boys up, or the catering staff keeping them fed and watered. The programme wouldn’t run without them. Finally, thank you to Lesley Groves, who ties the whole programme together. ◎
My badminton journey Felix Wright (Year 13)
Since joining the College in Year 9, my main priority has been finding a balance between my badminton com- mitments and achieving academically. I am grateful to the College for allowing me to compete and train internally
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THE ALLEYNIAN 711
SPORTS
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