Barnard Castle School welcomed hundreds of children from across the country for a festival of sport last month.
More than 350 pupils gathered at the County Durham independent school on 24-25 September for a range of age-classified competitions, with the boys playing rugby and the girls facing off in hockey.
“We were delighted to welcome so many teams to our annual sporting festival and we witnessed some incredible displays of skill, determination and resilience,” said school head, Tony Jackson.
“Festivals like these are the things our children will remember long into adulthood as they strengthen friendships with teammates and competitors alike.”
Teams from more nearly 40 schools took part in the sporting festival, journeying from as far north as Dunbar and as southerly as Slough.
“Contests such as this one would not be possible without the unstinting support of players, coaches, our ground staff and parents who take their children to events and our heartfelt thanks go out to them,” said Barnard Castle School’s director of sport, Rachel Masterman.
“I’ve also high praise for our young officials who gave up their time to referee the matches and the County Durham Referees’ Society who have helped them qualify.”
When the tournament was established more than 15 years ago, the school already enjoyed a fine reputation for sporting excellence, with alumni including the rugby internationals Rob Andrew and the Underwood brothers, Tony and Rory. More recently, old boys Mathew Tait, Lee Dickson and Tim Visser have also represented their national sides.
As we reported in July, that tradition continues today, with Barnard Castle’s current rugby captain, hooker Jacob Oliver, selected to represent England on an U18s tour in South Africa.
Main pic: Barnard Castle School’s under-12s take on Terrington Hall School, York, in the Tait 10s cup
