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2019
OA GOLFING SOCIETY Taking on old school rivals, this year Old Alleynian Golfing Society once again joined the Halford Hewitt public schools golf tournament at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club in Deal. The event has been running since 1924 with the same 64 public schools, including Dulwich College, still taking part. Throughout the year there were also society golf events with a total of around 100 Alleynians and OA’s playing over 250 rounds of golf, including a good contingent of under 30 year olds. Last year’s highlight was the Founders Golf Day at Dulwich and Sydenham where 64 players competed, with around 90 attending the dinner in the Great Hall. The golfing society is open to all OA’s whatever their standard. Matches against old foes are played in the traditional spirit of competitive sport, while society days take on a much more relaxed pace and are played on the best courses in the South East. For more details about joining, get in touch with the Secretary, Duncan Anderson oagssec2013 @ gmail.com or look at their website www.oags.co.uk OA SHOOTING CLUB Meeting about six to eight times a year, the Old Alleynian Shooting Club brings together Alleynians and OAs alike to participate in the sport of Full Bore Target Rifle Shooting. Every competition is a trophy shoot with either internal OA club awards or cup shoots against other independent schools. Many of these events have been running for decades, providing an opportunity to meet up with old friends and adversaries. The highlight of the year is the annual Arnold Cup competition against the Old Albanians with a well attended end of season dinner at a local club house. The Shooting Club meets at weekends between March and October, with five or six team members needed to participate at each shoot to make it financially viable and keep it competitive. All of our activities are centred on the National Shooting Centre at Bisley in Surrey, where we use their extensive outdoor ranges to shoot at distances between 300 and 1000 yards. Most of our members had their introduction to shooting through the CCF, but the demise of the school range and lack of participation by boys in target shooting has taken a toll on the uptake of new members, so we would love to hear from anyone interested. The club has always been a Home Office approved shooting club. We are allowed to train new shooters and we have club rifles and all the equipment required to get people going. Any OAs interested in joining should contact the OASC secretary or captain by email and we will send out application forms and the schedule for meetings in 2020. Captain, Pete Leggett (68-76) OAshootingclub @ icloud.com Secretary, David Nicholson (59-67) davidn3004 @ gmail.com
OA RUGBY Throughout 2019, the OAFC has continued to embrace an inclusive spirit for all ages and abilities, priding itself on getting a large number of people playing every single weekend. While many clubs around the south east struggle with numbers, OAs continue to field five men’s senior (adult) teams and a 1,000+ players in the junior section, including a thriving women’s section, an alumnus of which recently received a call up to the England Women’s U20 squad. The senior men’s squad continued to develop throughout the year, aided by a strong coaching group and guest coaching visits from former school pupils Beno Obano (11-13) and David Flatman (96-98), and from recently retired former captain of Australia, James Horwill. The 1st XV ended up having a very successful 18/19 season with a third-place finish in the London SW2 league. Strong contributions were made during the year from recent school leavers Oscar Gleave (13-18) and Tyreece Asamoah (11-18). The season also saw five players reach the impressive mark of 100 caps for the 1st XV, including Tom Pickett (97-08). Elsewhere the 2nd XV finished midtable in the top Kent league, the 3rd XV placed third in their league, the 4th XV finished midtable, and the Development XV teams won their league. The season was closed out with the traditional end of year dinner at the East India Club, soon followed by the club tour which visited the Algarve and saw OAs dominate both on and off the pitch. Off the field a raft of new club sponsorship was secured for the seasons ahead, while there were some strong profile-raising moments including an excellent showing on BT Sport’s Rugby Tonight programme, and a finalist nomination in the Amateur Player of the Year category of the National Rugby Awards hosted at Twickenham. Most excitingly the club began its initial forays into site-wide redevelopment of the Old Alleynian FC facilities, working with a variety of specialists and key stakeholders on plans to deliver a rejuvenated sports hub for the area. The club is in a strong position at the moment, serving not just existing players of the game but seeking to grow the sport in the area, with programs such as O2 Touch Rugby sessions open to all, hosting the Met Police’s ‘Project Rugby’ community engagement program in partnership with Harlequins, and becoming the training and match day hub for the London South Bank University (LSBU) men’s and women’s teams. The future looks bright for OAFC as we look to improve our facilities and rugby offering for all audiences, and we are enormously grateful to the continuing support of the College, alongside our many coaches and volunteers. For details about joining, get in touch with Alex Smiddy (90-00) alexsmiddy @ hotmail.com or the Alleyn Club office.
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