Sport
Reflections on a successful Advent Term
Rydal Penrhos is delighted to reflect on an exceptionally successful term on the sporting front.
Rydal Penrhos maintains a rich and long-running sporting tradition, from early legends such as Wilfred Wooller and the ‘Prince of Centres’ Bleddyn Williams, to contemporary heroes such as Paralympic medallist Georgia Wilson and Conwy Half-Marathon winner Morgan Kendall.
The Advent Term was just the latest illustration that this sporting tradition continues to go from strength-to-strength, with the school witnessing many competitive successes and high levels of pupil participation and dedication.
All this is even more impressive when considered against the context of the Covid pandemic, during which sporting fixtures had, at times, ground to a halt. The re-building of the school's fixture calendar is a credit to our Sports Department and their dedication to ensuring our pupils enjoy the benefits of competitive play.
This term saw an impressive number of fixtures played. From September to December, our U13, U15, and U18 sides in rugby, hockey, and netball participated in a total of 66 games across 35 distinct fixtures. Rydal Penrhos also participated in - or, in some cases, hosted - ten tournaments.
Head of Sport Mr Kirby said: “It has been a successful Advent Term for Rydal Penrhos Sport. Not just from a results point of view but more importantly in terms of participation. We are proud of the amount of fixtures we have played and proud of all pupils that have taken part. Whether wins, losses and draws, these fixtures have been really positive learning experiences for all. We look forward to next year's fixtures and tournaments, including Rosslyn Park Sevens, hockey nationals and our own rugby and hockey tournaments. I would like to thank all the Sport team including Miss Doran, Mr Rippon, Mr Edgley and Mr Wilkinson for their efforts this term.”
Rydal Penrhos would like to similarly thank the Sports Department for their excellent work. Given the busy term we have enjoyed, we have picked out a few Senior Sport highlights:
1st XV Rugby vs St David's College
A standout moment occurred on November 22 when the First XV rugby team secured a commendable victory against St David's, with a scoreline of 35-25.
This tenacious performance underscored the continued progress made under the coaching of Mr Kirby. Special mention to Year 12 pupil Harry Fardoe, recipient of the Player of the Match award. Finally, thank you to St David's College for their stern opposition and commendable sportsmanship.
1st VII Netball vs Ysgol Glan Clwyd
In September, the U18s netball side demonstrated exceptional spirit and dedication in a hard-fought victory against Glan Clwyd, concluding with a score of 21-19.
This was one of many excellent performances from the team this term, reflecting their collective improvement and individual talent.
U14s and U16s Hockey Progress in Nationals
The U14s boys' and U16s girls' hockey teams achieved noteworthy successes, advancing to the next round of the hockey nationals. Building upon last year's hat trick of national titles, Rydal Penrhos aspires to replicate this achievement in the upcoming stages of the competitions.
Return of Competitive Swimming
Prior to the half-term break, Rydal Penrhos participated in the Independent School Association North Area Swimming Gala; the school's first competitive swimming event since Covid. Year 4 pupil Jacob Morton and Year 6 pupil Harry Bennell qualified for the finals in London over the first weekend of December. Jacob demonstrated great skill in three individual events, securing a bronze medal in front crawl, a fourth-place finish in breaststroke, and another bronze medal in backstroke. Harry also performed fantastically well, earning a gold medal with his team in the front crawl relay. Congratulations both on your tremendous success against top competition!