“Reports of rain off the starboard bow Captain….”. As October dawns, there is the faintest hint of something more akin to seasonal normality, though the mercury remains stubbornly high as we enter the second month of the Winter term with green shoots emerging from the savannah, as the sporting landscape shakes off the summer excess. Innovative use of local sports facilities has made more matches viable, particularly for rugby, with a huge number of pupils able to participate in a range of sport across the school. Highlights this week include a great win for the 1st Netball squad in the first round of the SNS Trophy. With little further rainfall on the immediate horizon, we remain adaptable, juggling fixtures and training in a bid to get as many children as possible out on the pitch.

Golf

ISGA v Reeds

On Wednesday 23 September, Claremont visited Reed’s at Burhill Golf Club to play in the ISGA Knockouts. Despite some spirited play against a team that won the whole competition last year, ultimately, Reed’s superior firepower overcame the heart and determination shown by Giles S, Giles H, and Joey W.

U18B v ACS, Cobham

A tough match up against some low handicap players. As this is a scratch match play tournament, our boys knew they were going to be up against it, but all the boys went out with enthusiasm, determined to do as well as they could and gain valuable experience. To start the contest, all the boys decided to find alternative ways to the first green. However, all the games when deep into the back 9 which is a great credit to how well we competed. A huge positive was Brodie’s performance. Playing in the top match, he took the game all the way to the end. He had reached 17 one down, a difficult par three over the water and hit a superb drive to win that hole and take it down the 18th. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as well down the final hole and he lost what had been an excellent contest.

 

Lacrosse

U18C v St Swithun’s

A close game for the 3s (with some help from several U15s). Some great moments in transition with quick ball movement and several moments of fantastic 1v1 defence. Unfortunately, several key momentum shifts involving jewellery and lack of mouth guards meant the game finished 6-6. Player’s Players: Millie J & Sienna T-O. Coach’s Player: Chloe W for some excellent groundballs and momentum shifts on the draw.

U15B v St Swithun’s

What a game. With some brilliant help from a few of our U14s, the U15Bs fought hard from start to finish and worked incredibly well as a team. The girls responded well to feedback throughout the match and finished with a 7-7 draw, which felt like a win for both teams after it had consistently been close. Players of the match went to Sylvie and Amy, well done girls!

U14A v St Swithun’s

A great game for the U14s with very limited numbers on the bench. We spoke about being smart with the ball and making good decisions. St Swithun’s turned the tide for the majority of the second half by winning much of the draw controls and converting possessions. A couple of late goals from Claremont meant an 8-6 win in the end. Players Players: Grace A and Molly S. Coach’s Player: Ella P for some momentum shifting draw controls, composure in offence and brilliant off ball positioning

U12A v St Swithun’s

A brilliant first match of the season for U12As, who got their season off to a fantastic start with a win! Our focus was very much on putting our tactics into practice, rather than the result but there were some impactful performances across the whole team, especially Freya and Kiki as Players of the Match. The parental support made a positive difference, so thank you to parents for making the effort to come and cheer the players on.

 

Netball

1st v Kneller Hall- SNS round 1

The 1st VII produced a superb performance to secure a place in the next round of the SNS Netball Trophy with a hard-fought 23-15 victory in a physical and highly competitive contest. Claremont started strongly, edging a closely fought first quarter 5-4 as both teams battled for control. The opposition responded well in the second quarter, narrowing the gap, but Claremont maintained their composure to take an 11-10 lead into half-time.

A dominant third quarter proved to be the turning point of the match. Excellent defensive pressure and patient attacking play allowed Claremont to extend their advantage, opening up an 18-12 lead heading into the final period.

Despite the physical nature of the game, the team remained focused and disciplined throughout the final quarter. Strong movement through the court, accurate shooting under pressure, and relentless defensive work enabled Claremont to pull further ahead and secure an impressive 23-15 victory. It was a really strong all-round team performance, with every player contributing to the result. The squad showed resilience, determination, and excellent teamwork to overcome a tough opponent and progress through to the next round of the SNS Trophy. A fantastic start to the competition and a well-deserved win for the 1st VII.

1st VII-4th VII V Reeds

The Senior Netball squads enjoyed a challenging and competitive afternoon against a strong Reeds side. While the opposition tested us throughout the block fixture, the matches provided an excellent opportunity to implement the new structures and tactical principles that we have been developing in training.

There were some really positive passages of play across all teams, with players showing good composure on the ball, effective movement through court, and an increasing understanding of their roles within our systems. It was particularly pleasing to see the girls attempting to transfer training concepts into a match environment, even when under pressure from quality opposition.

The fixture also highlighted areas where we can continue to improve. The intensity and standard of the games exposed some gaps in our play, giving us valuable insight into the aspects we need to refine over the coming weeks. These lessons will be invaluable as we continue our preparation for a number of major competitions later in the term. Most importantly, the afternoon was played in a positive spirit and provided an enjoyable experience for all involved. The players showed resilience, determination, and a willingness to learn, and there is plenty to build on as we look ahead to the exciting challenges that await us this season.

 

U13A v Priorsfield

The U13A’s had a closely fought & extremely competitive game against Priorsfield. The transition through court improved throughout the game and the defence worked hard to combat some shooting height! The scores were level after 2 quarters and the rest of the game was goal for goal, unfortunately being overtaken in the last minute.

U13B v Priorsfield

The U13B’s had a strong game vs Priorsfield. From turning over the first centre pass at the offset they played positively and dominated possession. Focusing on our feeds and keeping the ball high, Claremont consistently made it goal and saw some great shooting from Clara M.

U12A-D v Howard of Effingham

The U12s had their first netball block fixture against Howard of Effingham which provided a valuable and competitive afternoon. While the overall results were not what we had hoped for, the matches offered an excellent opportunity for players to gain valuable game experience and continue applying the skills and principles developed in training.

It was encouraging to see all players out on court, demonstrating commitment, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn. Across the teams, there were positive passages of play, with players showing improvements in decision-making, movement, and teamwork. The fixtures also highlighted areas for development, giving players clear targets to focus on in future training sessions. Overall, the fixture served as an important step in the players’ development, and we look forward to building on these performances in training and future matches.

Rugby

1st XV v Hayes School – R1 Continental Cup

Claremont U18 played in the first round of the Continental Cup away to previous Bowl winners Hayes; this was always going to be a tough ask. A physical encounter saw Hayes focus on the superiority of their larger pack to dominate the narrative. Claremont chopped them down with massive hits from Harry D, Lucas R and Adam but Claremont would run out of bodies to stop the offloads. The boys never gave in and their efforts were rewarded with a sniping try from Oliver P late into the game. The boys should be proud of their efforts against a one dimensional side. Player of the match to Ed C for huge tackles and domination around the breakdown.

1st XV v Kneller Hall

With a depleted squad, 17 boys rocked up for the second game of the season. Playing a revised structure soon saw Claremont take the lead with a try from Louie G. Claremont dominated the lineout with captain Felix D stealing the opposing sides ball. A solo try from Lucas gave Claremont a comfortable lead. Kneller Hall rallied back and got on the board. Then an absolute rocket from player of the match Louie saw him carve up the entire opposition for the try of the game. Further tries from the pack saw the game ended early. Well done to the boys for a team performance.

2nd XV v Dulwich U18C

Claremont 2nd XV pulled away to a comfortable victory away at Dulwich College. A scrappy first half saw plenty of endeavour, but handling errors and a free for all at the breakdown hampered the flow of the game.

Half time allowed a reset, with the pack gaining control, pods and power sucking in a tiring defence. Space out wide was regularly made available, if not always exploited, but Claremont were good value for the four second half tries, adding to two in the first, Eden M converting four from six. Tries from Henry W (2), Leo S (2), Charlie S, Nathaniel and Adam saw Claremont claim a dominant victory, with a first ever game for Sonit, and a solid performance from the pack paving the way to success.

 

3rd XV v Kneller Hall

Sometimes in sport, the score line does not reflect what was witnessed by those lucky to be present at that particular event. This was true of the valiant U16 performance against Kneller Hall. One team played some fantastic rugby, with great interchange and commitment, the other had a mutant in the centres. We played some phenomenal rugby but conceded many tries against the run of play. Having dominated the early exchanges in the initial quarter, clearly showing how much we enjoyed running on lush green grass (or whatever patches of it there were) following a challenging, weather affected preseason, we unfortunately conceded the first try against the run of play. We picked ourselves up and went immediately down the other end (where the game had been played to this point) and Ryan crashed over following excellent carries by a number of forwards. The conversion was sadly missed. The second quarter followed a similar pattern; Claremont camped in Kneller Hall’s 22, then against the run of play, they score. Half time turned us around 5-21 in the red. We came out of the blocks quickly with Joshua getting a well worked try off a tapped penalty; new kicker same result sadly. This was when suddenly being on a full sized pitched, not the 15m x 15m grid we had been on so far, caught up with us. Fatigue started to set in; the carriers were still phenomenal, but the support was not in the earlier abundance. Their mutant scored again. Enter the final quarter; we had a point to prove. Oscar, doing fantastically in a new position scored out final try of the game; would having a third kicker prove being the charm – sadly not. Sadly, we were a tad ragged in defence in the end and conceded the final score of the game. 15-42. A valiant effort with so many positives as well as some work ons. Raff was channeling his inner Lewis Moody, putting his body about with wanton abandon and Callum charging like a young Andrew Sheridan. Man of the Match was voted to be Jamie for his strong carries and fierce defence. We move on with a spring in our step to the next challenge (hoping for rain before Wednesday so we can get another proper runout!).

U15B v Dulwich

For the first contact game of the season, Claremont produced a resolute and physical performance. The final score line fails to reflect the true contest on the field, and the territorial imperium which Claremont maintained for extensive periods of the match. The difference between the two sides came down to handling errors which saw two clear scoring opportunities vanish, whilst Dulwich profited from a natural runner—possessing speed akin to Mercury—who crossed the line twice and orchestrated their remaining two tries. Our forward pack had dominance at the scrum, winning several against the head with Pietro K, Magnus M and Charlie S driving the phalanx on. Dylan P was exceptional on the flank, winning the laurel wreath and man of the match honours. Zain S executed a classic poacher’s try, chiselling ‘V’ points onto the scoreboard. Though victory eluded us in this opening campaign, all roads lead to the next fixture and hopes for future conquest.

U12A v Dunottar

The last encounter of these two teams was extremely close and so it was again today, With the pitches again extremely hard, a modified game had to be played today. Tackling was not possible but contested rucks allowed the game to resemble normal rugby.

As is so often the case, the contact area was crucial in determining the winning team. Some players stood out here, such as Oliver S and Max N. They always seemed to be involved and because of this, our team enjoyed long spells of attacking play. However, it was Jackson who became most prolific in both retaining our attacking ball, and most importantly, turning over the opposition. With ball in hand we predominantly went sideways, but at times, the passing looked excellent and the support players ran on to the ball with purpose. When this happened we suddenly made ground and indeed our two tries came from secure handling to the player on the wing.

The first half had been extremely close with Henry streaking down the wing to score our first try, only tor Dunottar to hit back after several phases of prolonged pressure. The second half became much more physical, with both teams working harder to win the ball at the breakdown and better organisation in defence. In the end, it came down to a brilliant turn over in the ruck, excellent hands in the backs and Leo taking the ball at full speed, rounding his player and running almost the length of the field to score in the corner. This was an excellent team performance, and with rucking the key to the game, Jackson’s continuous presence at every ruck and was the difference between the two teams.

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