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A winter’s tale of two sides battling it out in style

When QE’s First XV meet traditional rivals Haberdashers’ Boys’ School, expectations are always high – and this year’s game fully lived up to its billing. 

Finely balanced and hugely physical, the match at Barnet Elizabethans Rugby Football Club was played to the sound of loud support from the touchline. 

QE Director of Sport Jonathan Hart said: “While our First XV suffered a narrow 13-7 defeat, their performance deserved more from the game, and this was one to be proud of. The togetherness and physical commitment of the boys was notable, led by Captain David Hirtopanu [Year 13].”

Habs’ had the better of the first half in terms of territory and possession, and they were awarded a large number of penalties. After great resistance from the QE defence, Habs’ did eventually manage to cross over for their first try, taking a 5-0 lead into the break. 

The roles were reversed in the second half, with QE retaining the ball much better and exerting significant pressure. “Powerful ball-carrying and some exciting breaks in the wide channels did not, unfortunately, convert into points,” said Mr Hart.  

When another penalty was awarded to Habs’, the visitors kicked from the 22-metre line and extended their lead to 8 points.  

“Another Habs’ try, against the run of play, put the victory out of reach for QE. However, the boys were determined in their play and reasserted themselves, charging at the Habs’ line until sealing a thoroughly deserved try – scored by Year 13’s Daniel Ghorbanian, following more great work from Timi Banjo from Year 12 – in the final play of the match. An excellent conversion by Akaash Gill, of Year 13, brought the score to 13-7.”

There was strong support from current pupils, staff and a number of OEs (particularly from the 2024 leavers) – many with memories of playing this fixture in recent years.  

“From air horns and saucepan lids to their shouts of encouragement, there was a big match atmosphere created on a cold and muddy night,” said Mr Hart. 

 

Rocco’s soaring success in two national butterfly finals

Star swimmer Rocco Giustiniani won gold in both the 100m and 200m butterfly finals in Swim England’s Summer Meet at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge complex.

Rocco, who enters Year 13 next month, battled hard to win the shorter race, while in the 200m, he not only led from the start, but also achieved an emphatic personal best (PB).

Director of Sport Jonathan Hart said: “Many congratulations to Rocco on these impressive performances, which I know reflect a great deal of hard work in training.”

Rocco, who swims for London’s long-established Anaconda Swim Club, reached the final of the 17-year-olds’ 100m competition after performing strongly in the heats, where he was just outside his PB for that distance.

Placed in lane 4 for the final, he was behind at the halfway stage, but fought back hard to take gold with a time of 57.74 seconds, ahead of the second-placed swimmer on 58.04.

In the 200m final, he led all the way in lane 5, getting off very quickly and swimming the first leg in an impressive 27.88s. By the halfway stage, he was a full second clear of the field – an advantage he retained to the end, completing the race with a time of 2.09.53.

Last year Rocco was selected for the Sport England-funded Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme.

The selection was a confirmation of several years of success in the pool.

In the 2021–2022 season, he built on his pre-pandemic successes by winning the 100m butterfly London regional title. He qualified for the summer 2022 national championships, where he finished seventh.

His rise continued last summer when he smashed his PB in the nationals and took bronze in the 200m final.

Rocco’s accomplishments were recognised recently by his QE classmates, when they nominated him for a DVS Award.

The award for ‘independence’ was presented by Old Elizabethan (1991–1998) Priyan Shah, of the DVS Foundation in a special assembly. The citation spoke of his “working exceptionally hard at School, whilst maintaining a rigorous schedule of competitive swimming outside of School”.

 

Result goes to the wire at Sports Day

Stapylton House beat rivals Broughton at Sports Day 2024 in the closest contest for years.

The blues of Stapylton emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins – a single point – thus bringing to an end the multi-year Sports Day dominance of red rivals Broughton.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “With Stapylton winning by 587 points to Broughton’s 586, the competition could hardly have been any more exciting! Well done to all the hundreds of boys who competed and to our winners.

“My thanks go to the PE & Games department for successfully putting on a one-day festival of physical activity that was a great deal of fun.”

Sports Day covered a wide range of disciplines, including individual track and field athletics events, rowing, triathlon, badminton, table-tennis, Eton Fives, tug-of-war and volleyball.

It involved every pupil from Year 7 through to Year 10. Large numbers of staff were on hand to make sure everything ran smoothly, with the Year 12 Sports Leaders also playing an important role in the administration.

The event was the swansong of Head of Rugby James Clarke, who leaves the School this summer after working in the department for a dozen years. As an Old Elizabethan (1999-2004), if he felt some disappointment that his own House, Broughton, missed out, there was at least consolation in the fact that he anchored the staff team to victory in the traditional finale to Sports Day – the QE Mile, a 16 x 100m relay.

Pictured, top, is Year 10’s Faaiz Adil, one of the School’s leading young sportsmen, quite literally throwing himself into his race.

  • Click on the thumbnails to view the images.

 

Harrow successfully defend title as home side battle hard in rain-hit QE Sevens

The 48th Annual Queen Elizabeth’s School Sevens brought out the best in competitors and helpers alike, with teams serving up some exciting rugby despite the challenging conditions.

Weeks of rain leading up to the tournament ruled out Barnet Elizabethans RFC’s pitches, which meant that only pitches at the School were available. As a result, only the U14 competition could proceed.

Harrow School’s squad took the Cup for the second year running, beating Bedford School 12-5 in the final. In the Plate, it was Abingdon School who ran out winners in the final over Berkhamsted School.

QE’s Head of Rugby James Clarke said: “Well done to all the players, coaches and parents who braved and battled the elements. From looking splendid in the sunshine of the Friday afternoon, conditions deteriorated, with the day of play on Sunday coinciding with yet more persistent rain.”

“With the QE Sevens attracting many of the country’s top rugby schools, competition was tough, but our home U14 side nevertheless acquitted themselves well in their three group-stage matches.”

Mr Clarke thanked: Headmaster Neil Enright for allowing the tournament to go ahead; sponsors inspiresport; and his colleagues in the PE department for their assistance. “Huge credit to the London Society of Referees, our School prefects and Year 7 volunteers who ensured the tournament ran as smoothly as it did. Thank you also to all schools for their continued support of the tournament.”

After a slow start to their opening fixture as everyone literally tried to get to grips with the slippery ball, QE’s U14 rebounded strongly against Reigate Grammar School in the second half, pulling back one try. Zach Mannathukaran narrowly missed out on a remarkable length-of-the-field score when the ball was knocked-on in goal as he was attempting to secure the grounding.

“Anticipating a very tough second fixture, the boys fronted up and were hugely competitive against Framlingham,” said Mr Clarke. Captain Lakshmi Chirumamilla scored the second try with a dart from the scrum down the blindside – part of another second-half comeback. “QE’s players were thinking that they had at least earned a draw with this try. There was however some confusion regarding whether conversions for the respective teams had been made, and a 14-12 defeat was declared the result by the referee, who was closest to the action.”

“This meant that the boys could no longer qualify for the knock-out rounds, but another creditable outing the in the third match, against Gravesend Grammar, showcased some of the positive aspects of their game, with another two tries scored demonstrating ability in attack.”

“Thinuka Kapugama Geeganage and Tanush Madadi, making their Sevens debuts, added a direct approach, carrying hard and offloading well up the middle,” Mr Clarke concluded.

Tournament sponsors inspiresport provided the cup winners with tickets to a Premiership rugby match, as well as hosting the coaches for lunch.

Full results can be viewed here: www.qebarnet7s.co.uk

  • To view photos, click on the thumbnails below.

 

After celebrating season’s rugby successes, School now looks forward to the QE Sevens

As the School’s U14 and U16 rugby squads prepare to welcome teams from around the country to the 48th annual QE Sevens tournament, their U15 counterparts are reflecting on a strong national competition run.

Another recent highlight was the first-ever QE Rugby Dinner, which saw top players from all year groups come together to celebrate their love of the game.

The QE Sevens, held this year on Sunday 10th March, is one of the country’s biggest school sevens tournaments. It has cup and plate competitions for both U16 and U14 age groups. QE’s own players recently got some practice in at warm-up sevens tournaments at Haberdashers’ and London Oratory schools.

Head of Rugby James Clarke said: “We are busy putting in place the final preparations for the big day. QE Sevens provides invaluable opportunities for our rising players to test themselves against strong opposition. It’s an event at which QE families, alumni and staff can welcome old friends and make new ones.

“Most of all, it’s a great day out at the School – an opportunity to cheer on the home teams and to watch highly competitive, fast-moving rugby in a convivial atmosphere. The action starts at 11:00am. It’s free, and spectators are welcome just to turn up on the day: we look forward, as usual, to seeing many supporters on the touchline!”

The U15s stormed through three rounds of the National Bowl to reach a fifth-round home game against Emanuel School in Battersea. With no first round played, they had kicked off their campaign by securing a convincing 36-7 win in October against Hampstead’s University College School.

They then dispatched both Parmiter’s School, from Garston – whom they defeated 15-12 in round 3 – and Debden Park High School, from Loughton in Essex – against whom the winning margin was greater, with the final score at 25-14.

In their encounter with Emanuel School, they led throughout, amassing a 14-3 lead in the second half. However, after a strong fightback by the visitors, they saw victory snatched from their grasp by an Emanuel try in the last play of the match.

“It was a truly painful defeat,” said Mr Clarke. “Had the boys managed to hold on and see out the match, they would only have been two games from the final at Twickenham. But they should be congratulated on playing some fantastic rugby, both in this game and throughout their run.”

There was some consolation for several of the U15 backline when they found themselves named in the QE Team of the Year, which was announced at the inaugural Rugby Dinner in the Shearly Hall.

There were also prizes for boys of all ages in the Most Improved Player, Players’ Player, and Player of the Season categories.

Inspirational speeches came in the form of videos from current South African captain Siya Kolisi and London’s Maggie Alphonsi MBE, former flanker for Saracens and England.

Also speaking on video was guest speaker Desh Ganeshamoorthy (OE 2014–2021), a former First XV player, who fondly recalled his own QE rugby memories: “I think I ended up playing every position but fly half and scrum half…it was so much fun.”

 

Thrills – and not too many spills – on an alpine adventure

With beginners making up at least half the 80-strong party that headed for the French alps, this year’s QE skiing trip was a time to enjoy thrilling new experiences alongside friends and classmates.

The boys enjoyed plenty of time on the slopes in the beautiful setting of Les Deux Alpes, near Grenoble – the destination for this year’s nine-day, half-term trip.

Group leader Richard Scally said: “It was a super trip, with everyone having a good time – and no major injuries!

“Such visits provide adventure and fresh experiences for the boys, and are a really important element in the QE experience.”

Les Deux Alpes, a ‘snowsure’ resort popular with British skiers, boasts a number of records: it has Europe’s largest skiable glacier and is also home to the longest fully on-piste vertical in the world, at 2,200m.

In total, Les Deux Alpes has 200km of on-piste terrain, ensuring that skiers of all abilities and experiences can enjoy their alpine adventure.

The boys stayed at the traditional Le Soleil alpine hotel in the centre of the village. Its après-ski attractions include a cosy fire area, ping-pong and table football.

Their busy programme when not skiing included ten-pin bowling and the opportunity to see some spectacular ice sculptures.

The trip began with a coach journey of more than 21 hours that took them all the way from the School to the resort, and included crossing the Channel on the Dover–Dunkirk ferry.

The boys were accompanied by ten members of staff, led by Mr Scally, who is QE’s Head of Cricket and Combined Cadet Force Contingent Commander.

He said: “Temperatures were very warm – up to 18 degrees one day.

“Snow was good at higher altitude, but, in an indication of how the climate is changing in the alps, it was interesting to see things getting a little slushy lower down in the afternoons.”

Destinations for the long-running QE skiing trip have in recent years ranged from the Italian alps to the Purcell Mountains, close to the Canadian Rockies.

  • Click on the thumbnails below to see more images from the trip.