Sports round-up 20.03.2026

Sergio Ramos with the kick… Messieurs, dames, c’est magnifique!… Following a spectacular denouement in this year’s Six Nations rugby, France sealing a last-gasp victory to steal the Championship, this week we stand ‘En garde’! Claremont proudly welcomed RGS Guildford to our first ever fencing competition on Saturday 14th March. This week the roving Sports Round Up takes a gander at football, netball and Coloma Cup lacrosse fixtures, as a frantic and weather-challenged few weeks draw near to the final whistle. The U13 mini tour enjoyed competitive football and netball matches, Laser Quest, and tickets to adult fixtures at Sutton Netball and WBA, adding to the fun. Up the Baggies!

Team of the week:

U12C boys football team (4–3 win vs Dunottar)

Report Megan T:

The U12C boys’ football team are this week’s Team of the Week following an excellent 4–3 victory against Dunottar in a thrilling and closely contested match. The team demonstrated great determination and teamwork throughout, maintaining controlled possession and building attacks confidently through the middle before spreading play effectively to the wings.

Olly G delivered an outstanding performance and was named Player of the Match. From the wing, he provided an excellent low cross to assist Thomas for one of the goals, while also scoring two well-worked goals himself. Another highlight came from Olly Mc, who scored a superb long-range effort from around twenty yards that flew into the top corner.

Despite an impressive performance from the Dunottar goalkeeper and the opposition’s threat on the counterattack, the team showed resilience, quality, and composure to secure a well-deserved victory. Their teamwork, attacking creativity, and determination make them very worthy recipients of this week’s Team of the Week recognition.

Netball and football tour to Loughborough

The Year 8 netball and football trip was a fantastic experience, giving pupils the chance to develop their skills and passion for sport.
The trip began with a fun and competitive evening at Laser Quest, helping to build team spirit.

On Saturday, the girls took part in a coaching session with NXT Gen Birmingham Panthers player Meg Perkins, gaining valuable skills in defence and inspiration, while the boys trained with West Bromwich Albion F.C., focusing on shooting and game scenarios. Later, both groups enjoyed live sport, with the girls watching an exciting Netball Grand Final double-header and the boys seeing West Brom secure a 3–0 win in an electric atmosphere.

On the final day, the girls played against Sutton Town Netball Club, with the A team drawing 32–32 and the B team winning 24–19. The boys also played competitive matches at Chelmsley Town, just missing out on a win but gaining valuable experience. Overall, it was an enjoyable and memorable trip for everyone involved.

Fencing

RGS Guildford provided the opposition in Claremont’s first ever fencing match as hosts. The Sports Hall witnessed excellent skill and sportsmanship.

Ms Maynard reports:

Well done to Charlie J, LJ P, Lara B, Will H, Baya F-D and Dexter U for brilliant performances against two strong teams from RGS on Saturday. Both of our teams lost to the RGS ‘A’ team, which was to be expected given the standard of their fencers.

Our Year 9s beat RGS ‘B’ convincingly 45–33, and our Year 10s lost narrowly 45–44 in a nail-biting final fight where Charlie managed to claw back 8 hits. LJ performed brilliantly in this match, scoring 19 of the 45 hits. Dexter also fenced superbly in his matches, scoring 18 hits in one match and 15 in the other, along with some notable arm hits, which is something he’s just started learning.

Well done to Baya and Ella, who both beat Guildford’s Cyrus C, who is the current U15 British School Team Champion, in a friendly couple of fights after the matches finished. Thank you very much to Ella Grundemann-Falkenberg, who gave up her afternoon to referee two of the matches.

Football

4th XI v Reddam House

Claremont 4th XI played away at Reddam House on a very difficult muddy pitch, falling 1–0 down in the first five minutes after a slip by our goalkeeper. With a 1–0 deficit at half time, the boys changed their game and challenged well, securing a 2–1 lead at the end to win. Goals: 2 x Felix G. MVP: Felix G.

U14B v CFS

U14B played against Cobham Free in a physical match. Going into half time all was equal at 1–1. In the second half we had chances but couldn’t capitalise, eventually losing a very good game 1–3. Goal by Roshi A. MVP: Zain S.

U14C v Dunottar

Could the ten men take on Dunottar? Absolutely. The boys not only showed they were more determined, but they also showed they were keen to play with more structure and discipline. Playing a 4-4-1, the team’s back four were excellent. Charlie S and Milo provided total control at centre back, with Baeden and Pietro providing their outlet on the flanks. Charlie’s speed meant he cut out so many attacking through balls, and he even managed the occasional marauding run in the opponents’ half. Baeden was extremely dynamic, particularly in chasing back, and he enjoyed the moments where he needed to be physical. The midfield was probably where this game was won and lost. Oscar and Oli B chased and chased. They were both excellent at winning the ball and then trying to drive forward. At times, they were even able to look up and deliver telling passes to their wingers, and it was their determination and ball control for the full 60 minutes that meant Dunottar really struggled to make an impact. If Oscar and Oli B were the deciding factor, then Tom GS was the finishing touch. He has great speed and stamina, and these two attributes meant that he kept going and going, getting on the end of countless passes and scoring our first goal. The highlight for him was chasing down an under-hit back-pass. The keeper attempted a clearance, but Tom bravely threw himself into blocking it with his whole body, and the ricochet went straight into their goal.

“Can we play next week?” has got to be the sign of a positive experience, so I’m delighted that the boys had so much fun and represented the school so well.

U12A v Dunottar

On the back of a strong win last week, the U12A team were ready for the game. The first 10 minutes was an end-to-end affair with chances at both ends. Then it seems their strikers moved into another gear. Dunottar were ruthless in front of goal; every single half chance seemed to go in. Dunottar went 4 goals up in a tough 10 minutes. Claremont kept at it and finally managed to dominate some possession and score three in fairly rapid succession. By then the game was gone; the 8–3 loss looks worse on paper than in person.

U12B v Dunottar

U12B played against Dunottar in a very competitive game. The boys kept a really good shape for the whole game. Some great link-up play between midfield and the forwards saw goals from Finn J and William S. MVP: Clement F.

U12C v Dunottar

The U12C team secured an excellent 4–3 victory against Dunottar in a thrilling, end-to-end contest. Dunottar looked to threaten mainly on the counterattack and with long balls over the top, while Claremont focused on controlled possession, combining superbly through the middle before spreading play effectively to the wings. Olly Galligan was named Player of the Match for his outstanding performance on the wing, assisting Thomas with a low, driven cross and also scoring two well-worked goals. Olly Mc, now nicknamed “Olly SmackIlroy”, added a spectacular strike from around 20 yards into the top corner. Dunottar’s goalkeeper produced a remarkable display, meaning Claremont had to show real quality and determination to earn this deserved win.

Lacrosse

U15B Nationals

Claremont U15B started in a tough pool against both Berkhamsted and GHS, recording two narrow losses. The team got their energy back up for the final pool game with determination to finish positively. The game ended in a 3–3 draw. This put us in a Top 16 game against Benenden. An unfortunate loss in this game meant that we went into the Plate competition. Things began to turn around at this stage, and we saw a fantastic team performance vs St Paul’s with a 5–2 victory. A semi-final against LEH was a tough ask; the team put out a great performance, but a couple of early goals for LEH meant a loss at the end of full-time. This means Claremont finished as semi-finalists in the National Plate competition, a fantastic achievement in their final year playing together before senior lacrosse next season.

Coloma Cup

All teams competed brilliantly at the Coloma Cup on a lovely sunny day, showing great effort, teamwork, and determination throughout.
The 14C and 13C teams had a positive day, playing a series of hard-fought games against strong opposition and continuing to develop their skills and confidence.

The 14B team faced a tough pool but responded superbly, progressing to the Plate semi-final. They won comfortably to reach the final and went on to be crowned Plate winners, a fantastic achievement.

The 13B team enjoyed an excellent pool stage, progressing to the semi-finals against St Catherine’s. It was an incredibly close match, going through two periods of overtime with no score. Unfortunately, they narrowly missed out, losing on the rule of not scoring first in regular time, a tough way to end such a strong performance.

A huge well done to all players involved for their commitment and positivity throughout the day. A great experience for everyone.

Netball

Charity Week Girls v Boys Match

The girls’ netball stars convincingly beat a ‘rugby-heavy’ boys team on the school show court, in front of a fantastic school crowd. The girls’ ability to transition from back to front of court was exemplary, with their ability to shoot accurately profoundly more apparent! Well done to all involved in a fun fundraiser; bragging rights lie firmly with the girls!!

Ms Haseed writes:

The 1st VII netball played against the 1st team rugby in a fun charity match to raise money for their charity, RSPCA. The event was a hit, with nearly the whole school watching and cheering on the teams. Of course, the girls came out with the win; however, the boys’ weeks of training showed in their slick through-court play and some amazing athletic attack.

1st VII v Gordons School

What a phenomenal last game of the season this was! The 1st VII had a rematch from last year against Gordons, and the progress showed! Losing by 16 last year transformed into a closely contested match this year, as the team pulled together with all they have learnt this year to contest the game, only narrowly missing out on a win. Nonetheless, the progress this team has made over the year has been incredible, and I cannot wait to see what prevails next year! A special recognition to Eilidh and Isla, our Year 13s, who had a great last game.

U15C Tournament

The U15C team travelled to Howard of Effingham and played a brilliant tournament, ending up as the eventual winners. Sophie H was outstanding as a shooter, and the girls made great progress as the tournament proceeded, gaining confidence as the rounds progressed. Congratulations, girls.

U14 Netball Match Report vs Caterham

The U14s took on Caterham in a block fixture that proved to be both highly competitive and full of great effort from all players involved. Across the teams, there was some excellent netball on display, with strong teamwork, determination, and resilience shown throughout.
A special mention goes to the U14 B team, who were the standout performers of the day. They secured a well-earned victory with a final score of 18–14, demonstrating great communication, movement, and composure under pressure. Their teamwork and consistency across all quarters made the difference in a closely contested match.

Overall, it was a fantastic block fixture, with all players contributing positively and showing great commitment. Well done to everyone involved.

Rugby Sevens

The U14 squad head to the national Rosslyn Park Sevens on Tuesday 24th March, placed in a tough pool alongside South Coast opponents in Bournemouth Collegiate, Canford, and Devonport High School.