Sports at BWS
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ATHLETICS
From February half term, athletics is introduced in PE for Years 7 to 9 whilst Year 10 athletics commences in Games after Easter. Students are taught the correct technique for throwing and jumping events along with hurdles and sprint technique.
Students compete in Salisbury Area Sports which feeds into county, regional and national competitions for high-scoring solo athletes. We also enter an U13 and U15 team into the ESAA Schools Cup competitions.
We’ve reached the ESAA Schools Cup finals in 2019 and 2022 at U13 level whilst reaching the finals in 2018 and 2022 at U15 level. Multiple athletes also regularly reach the English Schools Championships.
Notable recent alumni include Jack Paget and Toby Twentyman earning Oxbridge blues and Jaymee Domoney who attended Olympic trials.
BADMINTON
Badminton is growing in prominence within Bishop’s and formulates part of our PE Curriculum for Years 8 and 9. Students can pursue it further within GCSE PE alongside open training sessions ran in the sports hall before school hours by independent coaches.
Badminton is one of the most popular activities during Sixth Form Games and its growth within the school has been reflected through us becoming regular competitors both at a county and a regional level.
We enter both the local School Games and School Sports Magazine competitions. We regularly compete in the County Finals and have when available made Regionals.
BASKETBALL
Basketball is one of our long-standing team sports. It is followed in the curriculum through Years 7-9 and it also an option in the Sixth Form. Boys can aspire to represent the school at every age group, competing in local and county competition as well as traditional friendlies against many of the Independent Schools in the South and South West.
We play in the annual U18 tournament hosted by Wellington College which we have won on several occasions. The school also enters Basketball England's School Competition. In recent years, we have progressed to the last 8 at U19.
For the first time in 2022 we entered the Junior NBA and annually host our own U15 tournament, formally part of the School Games.
We also now have very strong links with Salisbury Sparks Junior club with Bishop boys playing National League Level at U14/16 and 18. A number of boys also go on to play men's basketball for the long established Salisbury Suns Club.
CRICKET
Cricket is introduced in Lower School PE throughout the Summer beginning with work on skills, including all aspects of bowling, fielding, and batting. Cricket also becomes an option in the summer term for games in all years with many of those wishing to play for the school training for fixtures that occur throughout the summer. We also make use of our excellent indoor nets post-Christmas after school for those wishing to play in any of the teams.
Fixtures are regular in the Summer against local independent schools with a high level of cricket being played across the year groups. The increase in growth and interest amongst students at the school has added to the inspiration of a new Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA). This will in turn grow the quality of cricket at the school with the opportunity to use five retractable cricket net lanes up at the school's playing fields on Britford Lane.
CROSS COUNTRY
Cross Country has become a staple of Bishop’s excellence, in no small part to Mr Griffey. We have consistently been National Finalists in the ESAA School’s Cup with our runners going on to experience great success individually at county, regional and national levels in the Cross Country Championships. Competitions run throughout the year for all 5 teams (Minor Boys, Junior Boys, Inter Boys, Senior Boys and Senior Girls) and each train regularly both on track and at Britford Lane.
Notable alumni include Jaymee Domoney who was an Olympic trialist.
FOOTBALL
The football season starts in September for the Sixth fFrm and ear 11 before becoming the primary games option for Years 7 to 10 in January. We aim to field two sides per age group ranging from U12B to the 1st and 2nd XI (fixtures dependent).
We enter the ESFA National Schools Cup and Wiltshire Cup at Senior and U16 level. We’ve also entered a Poole Schools Cup for the first time during the 2022/23 season for more 1st XI action. The lower years play in the local state school cup competition.
Recent success saw our seniors win the County Cup in 2015/16 and reach the ESFA last 32 in 2018 and 2022. Meanwhile our U14s registered Area and County Cup wins after an unbeaten season in 2018.
Notable footballing alumni include Vaughn Covil who left the school in 2019 and now plays professionally for Hull City, having represented the USA as a school boy. Monty George also represented England School Boys U18 as a goalkeeper and now he co-owns our football sponsor ‘Furniture Box’ with Dan Beckles.
NETBALL
Netball is played in the Winter and Spring term as a Sixth Form games option for the girls creating both a 1VII and 2VII playing regularly against many surrounding schools. We are arguably the top team locally. The success of the netball has grown throughout the past three years with an ever-growing number of girls coming into the Sixth Form eager to play a high standard.
In recent years, Inter-house Mixed Netball has become an enthralling watch for both students and teachers alike with many different sporting athletes taking part. Our playing dresses are proudly sponsored by Girls Love Fit.
POLO
Polo has grown over the past three years at Bishops, with students playing at a prominent level outside of school creating a strong BWS team playing in tournaments against leading independent schools. The school have also been invited to play at Guards, an invitational tournament against major Polo playing schools from across the country. The BWS Polo team play at Druids Lodge, a family run club of which includes two Old Wordsworthians, Eden Ormerod who has represented England and plays professionally.
RUGBY
Rugby is our main games option during the Autumn term, offering three formats as prescribed by the RFU with full contact, reduced contact and touch. We have 21 teams running from U12D all the way through to the 1st XV, with regular weekend block fixtures against some of the premier rugby playing schools in the country including Whitgift and Eton.
As well as playing more locally mid-week. We enter national competitions with the Schools Cup at U18 and U15, and the School Sports Magazine Cup at U14.
Recent success saw us reach the final of the Schools Cup in 2017, followed by the quarter final in 2018 and the semi-final of the Schools Plate in 2020. Since 2015/16 we have been involved in the Daily Mail Merit Table, reaching the top 32 nationally in both 2016, 2019 and 2022.
We have strong links with local clubs, as well as both Bath and London Irish academies with players moving through the county and academy pathway. We also direct players towards both Irish Qualified selection or similar and The Lambs.
On Boxing Day in collaboration with Salisbury Rugby Club, we play the Rory Walworth Memorial game in memory of a past player at both club and school. The day is a fantastic family event with a high standard of rugby and money raised for multiple good causes.
Famous rugby alumni include current England Team Manager Rich Hill MBE who also won the Rugby World Cup in 2003 as well as this he toured with the British and Irish Lions on three occasions. More recently Cadan Murley of Harlequins and England was captain of the 2017 finals team.
RUGBY 7s
Rugby 7s is an option during the Spring term. We have teams in each year group, girls included. With regular tournaments across the term including Warwick School 7s, West of England 7s, Surrey 7s and Rosslyn Park 7s. We also play in more local competition at both the Dorset and Wiltshire Schools 7s events as well as various other school events depending on the calendar each year. In recent years we have taken sides to Perins, Port Regis, Millfield and Clifton College events.
Recent success at senior level saw the boys reach the Rosslyn Park semi-final in 2016 and the girls the quarter final in 2023. The boys were also Cup winners in 2018 at Bryanston 7s, and Plate winners at Seaford 7s. In 2022 we were Seaford 10s and West of England 7s Bowl winners. Our girls also won the West of England 7s in 2023.
We have growing links with Wooden Spoon Marauders and various players in recent years have gone on to play on the invitational elite circuit.
At the end of July every year we enter an OW side in to the Jack Fishwick 7s played at Wimbledon. Jack is an OW himself and was injured playing for Wimbledon. The tournament raises money for the RFU Injured Player Foundation who support Jack and others like him.
SPORTS TOURS
In 2011, we toured Italy exploring Rome and Venice alongside visiting local attractions such Gardaland which is the largest theme park in Italy and Sirmione, on lake Garda, which is home to thermal pools and world-renowned spas.
In 2013 and 2017, BWS travelled to Australia arriving initially on the Gold Coast in Brisbane before moving on to Townsville and then Sydney. Students had the opportunity to explore Airlie and Bondi Beach alongside Magnetic Island and got to experience Oz Jetboating in Sydney harbour. On every rugby tour we aim to play the top opposition and in 2013 this was no different as the 1st XV played against St Josephs, also known as ‘Joeys’, who are the school responsible for producing the most Wallabies.
In 2015, South America was the destination as we toured the likes of Buenos Aires, Rosario, Tigre, Iguazu and Rio De Janeiro. We played the likes of Buenos Aires Rugby and Cricket Club, the oldest club in Argentina, alongside San Isidro Club which is one of the most successful rugby clubs in Argentina having won 26 Torneo de la URBA championships.
Japan was our destination in 2019 with rugby, football and basketball making the trip. We split our time between Tokyo and Osaka, visiting Kyoto, Mt Fuji and Hiroshima.
In 2022 and 2023, we toured Canada visiting Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa and students had the chance to experience the Niagara Falls alongside the scenic Mont Treblant. The 1st XV played against Ontario’s and Quebec’s U19 teams alongside regional opposition such as Brock Rugby and Oakville Crusaders.
2024 will see our first girls tour to Dubai with 32 girls travelling to play rugby and netball.
TENNIS
Tennis is an option during games in the latter half of the summer term for Y7-10 and for the Sixth Form throughout the year. We play out of Salisbury Tennis Club, with whom we have strong links and a membership discount, along with Riverside Tennis Club, both of whom are coached by OWs.
The school enters all available LTA competitions, with competitive teams in Y7/8, Y9/10 and Y11/6F. Traditionally we have done very well, being regular attendees of Regional Finals having won our County rounds.
In both 2016 and 2017 we made National Finals with the senior boys, finishing as runners up at Regional Finals in 2022, the same result as our Y9/10 B team in their respective final. In 2022 we ended the year ranked 17th Nationally.
In the summer we also run our own Play Your Way to Wimbledon competition where previous winners have then won the county round and played in the national final at Wimbledon.
Concussion advice for parents - Sep 2023
