Category: Senior School News
Our end of season report comes from our Head of Academic PE and Netball, Miss Sanders.
It’s been a busy last two weeks on the netball front, with matches still being played until the last Wednesday of term with the U13A and U12A teams playing against East Bergholt.
The U13As along with the U16 and U14A teams should be congratulated on a superb and successful season – winning all of their league matches, which result in them being league champions, and the U12A team winning all of their matches this season, scoring a total of 302 goals and only conceding 66 – such a phenomenal achievement and a solid foundation for when they play in the South Suffolk League next year.
The U15C team enjoyed their only match of the season against RHS. Although it was a tough game, their efforts cannot be faulted. Eveny was awarded the player of the match for her tenacious defending – well done!
The juniors have enjoyed a plethora of matches this season and every girl in Year 7 and 8 has represented the School. The turnout at netball practice at lunchtimes has been amazing, with over 30 girls every week, which demonstrates their commitment, dedication and enjoyment of the sport. Well done, and thank you!
The 1st team won both their last two league matches against Northgate and St Jo’s B team with Ella P and Jess E being rewarded with the Players of the matches. We had the bare seven for Northgate, but the girls gave their all and had such a lovely match. For the last quarter of our match against St Jo’s, we fielded a Year 13 only team as it was the last school match the girls would be playing. The camaraderie demonstrated and teamwork was just perfect for this last game of their school career.
The U16A team finished off their brilliant season with a convincing win over Hadleigh High School 37-13. This season the whole team have come together and with the addition of Esme in the last couple of games, where she has been voted player of the game, the team have given their all. With Flo and Steph shooting, Ada, Libbie, Issy C, Lucy and Izzy M playing brilliantly in the centre and the defence of Freya and Elsa have been awesome. The highlights of the season were wins over Ipswich School, Ipswich High and Farlingaye. The girls have worked hard together and have been a pleasure to teach. Well done on becoming South Suffolk Champions too!
The U13As finished their excellent season with a win over East Bergholt 37-17 meaning they played 12 won 9, scored 247 goals and had a goal difference of 100 which is very encouraging for the future. With Scarlett, Lyrah and Bea in defence, Lily, Aurelia, Margot, Charlie (missing from the photo) and Liya in the centre of the court and Millie and Eloise shooting they are a force to be reckoned with and have come on so much this season. With wins over Orwell Park, Ipswich School, Culford, Ipswich High School and RHS, the girls should be proud of themselves. Well done girls and South Suffolk Champions to boot!
We have a few match reports to include in our end of season round up, for our U12A and U14B teams too.
Woodbridge U12A v East Bergholt, 42-11, Player of the match: Felicity
This was the last game in the season for the U12A team, and what a game it was! Picking positions out of the team bag and playing cards to decide who would be playing made it even more exciting for the last match. With six out of the team of eight playing a shooting position, we scored the most amount of goals in a game ever – 42, which is amazing! Amelie, Georgia, Izzy, Felicity, Annie, Eva, Rosie & Pip all played an important part in this match and enjoyed every minute of playing in different positions. Player of the match was awarded to Felicity and the final score 42–11. The U12A team are undefeated this season and they should be proud of their achievements. They have been a delight to coach and watch grow and develop as players and a joy to work with. Thank you so much, girls! Also, a massive thank you to all the supporters on the side line during the season – you have been brilliant!
Woodbridge U14B Netball match v RHS, 24-17, Player of the match: Ella
The U14B had a very competitive netball match against RHS. The score was even after the first quarter, but Woodbridge pulled away to 15-9 after the second quarter. The third quarter was even but Woodbridge continued to pull away slightly to finish 24-17. Ella was voted Player of the match by the opposition, and she was instrumental in many of the goals scored. That said, there was some great play by the squad of eight players: Eve, Lily, Nancy, Alice, Tabitha, Lilianna, and Rose.
Woodbridge U14B Netball match v Finborough, 23-10. Player of the match: Tabby
The U14B team finished their season strongly with a 23-10 win over Finborough. Missing centre Lily due to illness Lilianna and Rose stepped into the role making great passes through the centre third. Tabby was yet again voted player of the match from the opposition, and they also gave special mention to Ella whose sharp shooting scored over half the goals. Eve and Alice also worked very hard in defence to turn the ball around. A great season with 193 goals scored, playing 10 matches and winning eight.
I would like to thank every single student who has played netball this season, whether in friendly or league matches. It has been such an enjoyable season and an extremely successful one, so well done!
The Lent term is synonymous with boys Hockey and Netball for girls, and excitement was high at the start of the term as we have not been able to play competitive fixtures for such a long time, having lost one and a half seasons due to the pandemic. Our Head of Hockey Mrs Rix reports on the season.
It’s no surprise that students and staff were equally motivated to make the most of the season, learn and improve as much as possible and play as hard as they could in every match, lesson and practice.
There were perhaps some early nerves as the season got underway, but the boys got stronger and stronger – also shown by the very positive results at the end of the term.
As usual there are a number of highlights but too many to mention in such a short report. I will however try do it some justice!
The Junior 6 team, led by Mr Davis has been unbeaten during term, and absolutely full of enthusiasm! They scored 12 goals and conceded just four, taking convincing wins over Culford, Orwell Park and New Hall is no easy task. Well done, gentlemen.
The Junior 1st team have had an outstanding season – exactly what they deserved for the self-motivation, application and work ethic they showed throughout. The team won six matches and lost two (one of those a 2-3 loss to Culford, in one of the best 7-a-side matches I have ever seen. It could easily have been 7-5 to Woodbridge). 26 goals were scored in total this season, in a true team play fashion. Tom V (6) and Alex H (5) were the overall top goal scorers in all of the School.
The U14A and B teams got stronger and stronger throughout the season – getting used to 11-a-side hockey. Both teams ended with positive results, especially the U14As finding their goal-scoring touch, adding wins over New Hall and RHS (convincing in the long awaited rematch) to their tally. A lot has been said about the progress Year 10 boys made. Having missed out on the vital Year 9 introduction to the full pitch game, it was uncertain where the season would lead us. The players rose to the challenge and commitment, skill and motivation kept rising. 90% of boys represented the A and B teams in midweek or Saturday fixtures and we are so grateful for the fantastic support we had from parents and friends on the sideline, making things all the more exciting. 18 boys played for the A team over the course of the season, making competition for a selection very tough – a very good place to be in. Through hard work, teamwork and responding to their captain’s expectations they bounced back from a disappointing start, to win four of their last five matches. Some stunning deflection goals were scored, the U15s featuring some of the bravest players in front of goal.
The senior teams started the season with a big test – mocks for most of the players. This led to a somewhat slow start to playing but when we finally got groups together, time lost was quickly recovered by hard work and fun. A very young second team had a tough season, but good progress made by players who will hopefully use this experience well as sixth formers. Edward R in goal was a hero throughout the term.
The 1st team have been a wonderfully self-motivated group, leading the way for the younger pupils. The team has been frustrated not to build more momentum and had to settle for some close losses when their performances warranted more reward. However, in true Woodbridge character the players kept working hard not letting a setback throw them off track, earning three wins and a draw in eight full length games. William established himself as the top goal scorer in his first season, Edward never stopped running and dominating his side of the pitch in midfield, while Tom H marshalled the boys from the back and made telling tackles. After the satisfying win over RHS last week, confidence was high going into the last match against Culford. The performance delivered is one to be proud of, even if not the outcome we wanted. Many moves and moments to remember and build on next season.
Congratulations to the debutants playing their first matches for the School’s first team this year, and likewise to the Year 13’s playing their last. You will be missed.
On Saturday 19th March, eight Woodbridge School athletes travelled to Kent to represent Suffolk at the English Schools Cross Country Championship. Mark Goddard, Cross Country Coach reports.
English Schools is the final Championship of the winter season and with just the top eight athletes from 44 English Counties in each of six age group races, the competition is of the highest standard. Qualifying to compete at this event is always the target of any aspiring young athlete. It was an incredibly proud day for Woodbridge with at least one athlete from School on the start line of all six races and they ran with pride and energy.
Congratulations to the following:
Junior Girls:
Charlie (Y8) had an experience like no other, where an athlete stood on her spike soon after the start and she lost her shoe. Even in the heat of battle, Charlie had the presence of mind to realise that the computer timing chip was on the shoe she had just lost, so she picked it up and ran the rest of the race with her shoe in her hand! Sadly, despite her heroic efforts the timing mats did not register her finish and so we will never quite know her race position; a unique but amazing first experience to end an excellent season for Charlie.
Junior Boys:
Angus (Y9) fought all season to get to English Schools and ran a great race to finish 247th.
Inter Girls:
Ruby (Y11) took her place at this event to compete for the County team despite an injury disrupted winter. Ruby ran a brave race to finish 109th. Eloise (Rufford) had an inspiring first English Schools and ran a great race to finish 196th.
Senior Girls:
April (Y13) continued her return to form and recorded the School’s second best finish of the day in an excellent 64th place. Amy (Goddard) was competing at her third English schools competition, and ran another strong race to finish 186th.
Senior Boys:
Kit (Y13) finished his school cross country career with another top 100 position, crossing the line in 89th place to help the Suffolk team to 11th – their highest team result at this championship.
Inter Boys : England representation!
Henry (Y11) rounded off a special fortnight in spectacular fashion, it’s completely fair to say. Henry arrived at these championships having finished 7th at the UK Inter Counties the previous week, knowing that a top ten finish would see him selected to represent his country.
After a hard fought race Henry crossed the line in 8th place and he will now represent English Schools at a Home Nation International in Wales this Saturday 26th March, where teams from England will compete against Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
A proud day for Henry, his family and Woodbridge School and just reward for all of his hard work. We wish him every success at the international.
A huge thank you and congratulations to all the athletes, staff and parents that have contributed to a successful Cross Country season for Woodbridge School.
Time for a few easy recovery weeks before we turn our attention to the track!
Seven students from Years 8 to 13 competed at Suffolk Chorister Competition last weekend on Saturday 12 March at St Mary-Le-Tower. Not only was it a wonderful experience for everyone, but 2nd and 3rd places were achieved in both the U14s and U18s categories.
Suffolk Festival of Performing Arts launched a new Chorister Competition this term, which was held in St Mary-le-Tower, Ipswich. Georgia (Y7), Jasper (Y8), Jack (Y8), Eve (Y9), Florence (Y11), Isla(Y11) and Ella (Y13) all competed in the junior and senior classes admirably. The adjudicator Ben Ponniah commented on their excellent presentation and accomplished performances.
It was a wonderful afternoon of beautiful music and all our students proudly represented Woodbridge School; they each performed with musicality, assurance and sincerity.
The following students were placed as follows:
Jack 2nd in Junior Class
Jasper 3rd in Junior Class
Esme 2nd in Senior Class
Ella 3rd in Senior Class
Our U12A, U13A, U14A, U14B, U15A, U16A and 1st netball teams played a number of matches at the end of last week and earlier this week, you can read our match reports for each below:
U15A Woodbridge v St Jo’s, Away, 7 March 2022, final score 32-12, Player of the Match: Georgie
Although a very convincing win by another of Woodbridge’s very talented teams, the players themselves would agree that they could have won by more. Strong movement and shooting by both Charlotte H and Skyla in the shooting circle coupled with accurate feeding from Issy and Charlotte C saw the team leading 9-2 at quarter time.
Throughout the game a number of poor passing decisions led to the ball being intercepted by St Jo’s who had a particularly effective GD. However, it was often the case that our own defence, Georgie, Nancy, Marina, Flo, Skyla applied pressure and forced an error from St Jo’s enabling Woodbridge to turn the ball back over.
A dominant final quarter of 7-1 and Woodbridge won the match 32-1, with Player of the Match given to Georgie.
1st Woodbridge v RHS, Away, 8 March 2022, final score 14 – 41, Player of the Match: Emily
This was by far and away the most cohesive team performance of the season so far and the score does not reflect how well the team played.
RHS are an impressive side, but Woodbridge were particularly effective in defence with Molly, Lottie, Ella S and Evie closing down their attack and turning the ball over on a number of occasions.
Issy H and Emily worked hard in the attacking third and shooting circle combining well with Jess, Clara and Ella P to provide some good shooting opportunities.
A few less unforced errors and a bit more vision with some of our feeding could have seen further opportunities taken.
The final score was a loss of 41 – 14 but the team were pleased with an improved performance, and a huge well done to everyone that played. Player of the Match was awarded to Emily.
U12A Woodbridge v Orwell Park, Home, 9 March 2022, final score 20-3, Player of The Match: Felicity
For a young side this team are playing some super netball and having a very impressive season. Strong throughout the whole match, all of the players contributed well to the overall result.
Amelie, at GS, coped well with a GK who was doing her best to unsettle her, held her ground and timed her movement well to get free and score.
Izzy, Georgia, Felicity and Annie combined well in attack with some fast-attacking movement, accurate passing and accurate shooting from both Izzy and Georgia during their quarters at GA.
Our defensive combinations, Annie, Eva, Rosie and Phillipa read the game very well, closed down the attack, intercepted the ball on numerous occasions and in the second half on the game didn’t allow Orwell to score.
Another win for the team 20-3 to continue their unbeaten run – well done to all. Player of the Match was given to Felicity.
U14A Woodbridge v Ipswich High School, 3 March 2022, final score 15-5 (shortened game)
Two matches and two further wins achieved for this very talented team over the last week. The match against Ipswich High School was shortened due to an injury on both teams around half time. These led to the game being concluded at 3/4 time with a win to Woodbridge 15-5.
U14A Woodbridge v St Jo’s, 10 March 2022, final score 34-16, Player of the Match: Nina
The team travelled to St Jo’s for a league match last week; delivering a really strong team performance with everyone playing their part effectively throughout the game.
The first quarter was reasonably close with both teams taking a few minutes to settle in and ending 7-4, but it was the second quarter when Woodbridge really delivered some impressive netball.
Woodbridge won the quarter 12-2 with some outstanding drives into the attacking circle and shooting from Lara, excellent vision and feeding by Georgia and Scarlet, lovely attacking moves and shooting from the eventual Player of The Match Nina and almost impenetrable defence from Georgie, Juno and Issy.
The number of interceptions, tips and turnovers throughout the match from the defence and indeed all players was exceptional. At half time Woodbridge held a commanding lead of 19-12 and although the second half was closer the players continued to perform and with some well-timed movement and accurate shooting from Emily in the final quarter the team went on to win the match by 34-16. A super result and a really super match – very well done to everyone that took part.
U14B Woodbridge v Felixstowe, 14 March 2022, final score 37-1, Player of the Match: Lily
The U14B team continued their winning streak with a 37-1 win over Felixstowe Academy this week.
It was a squad of 11 players to get everyone experiencing competitive game play, as most players regularly attend the two training sessions a week.
Ella played the two middle quarters (eight minutes a quarter) and with the other shooter scored 17 of the goals. She was instrumental in getting the ball into the circle and scoring many of the goals.
Likewise, Tabby, who has continually been nominated as Player of the Match this season, took a back seat playing two quarters.
Player of the Match by the opposition went to Lily who kindly stepped in part way through the third quarter to play for Felixstowe Academy when one of their seven players were injured.
Well done everyone that took part, a great game and great experience.
U13A and U16A teams update
The U13A team and the U16A team have had a couple of weeks of some fantastic netball.
The U13A team has won games against Ipswich High 29-8, Orwell Park 18-13, Westbourne Academy, in the league 41-4, and St Joseph’s College 31-6. This squad of 10 have shown huge improvements both in their defending and attacking skills, with Scarlett, Bea, Liya, and Lyrah dominating the opposition’s attack putting into practice delaying and domination in the circle. Our attackers of Aurelia, Margot, Lily, Charlie, Millie and Eloise have proved their worth working on driving onto the circle and their shooting has been on point and boosted our goals for score to 196.
The U16As have also had a good run of fixtures with recent wins over Ipswich high School 21-20 which was a real thriller and could have gone either way. They also beat Claydon High School 28-3 in the League with everyone having a chance to play in different positions. Moving to the end of the season we are hoping to put out our full strength squad that has been affected by COVID and injury. Bring on the last games of the season!
On Friday 11 March, students from Year 7 and 8 attended and competed in the St Felix Inter School Cross Country Competition in the chilly North Sea winds, racing against other runners from schools in Suffolk.
Woodbridge Prep and Senior Schools had a great afternoon, achieving success at all ages.
The Year 7 team which won with individual placings as follows:
Romily – 1st place
Sophie – 2nd place
Izzy – 4th place
Annie – 7th place
Rosie – 15th place
Our Year 8 team came a close second with individual placings as follows:
Eloise – 1st place
Lily – 6th place
Bea – 7th place
Millie – 9th place
Liya – 12th place
Huge congratulations to everyone that took part, achievements to be proud of!
The following day, Saturday 12 March, a number of the School’s talented Cross Country athletes were in Loughborough to race in the UK Inter County Cross Country Championships, representing either Essex or Suffolk.
The Inter Counties is one of the three end of season finals where all of the best athletes from England, Wales and Scotland represent their counties racing for team and individual honours. This event includes senior men and women and usually serves as the selection race for the Great Britain team for the World Cross Country Championships. This year the Worlds in Australia has been postponed to 2023.
Every athlete at the event is in the top eight in their particular County, so the competition is fierce, but it’s a great experience for everyone that takes part.
Three of our Year 7 and 8 girls were first up in the U13 Girls’ race. Felicity (Y7) ran a brilliant race at what was her first nationals competition, particularly considering she is a Year 7 student; to finish in 75th place, and as the first Suffolk athlete home is an incredibly achievement.
Charlie (Y8) had a great run to finish 134th and 3rd in Suffolk; amazingly there were almost 60 finishers in less than 30 seconds between the two!
Aurelia (Y8) as had an amazing first cross country season to make the various teams to compete around the country and she continued to do incredibly well, finishing a strong race in 214th place; the Suffolk team were 25th.
Henry (Y11) competed in the U17 Men’s race, which is a Year 11 and 12 race. Starting cautiously, Henry was always in the top 20 and although he was distanced from the top 10 at one stage, he finished the final mile stronger than most to come home in a spectacular 7th place – against the very best from around the country. Henry was also the first Year 11 home, which augurs well for English Schools in Kent this coming Saturday where he will be in a Year 10 and 11 race.
Congratulations to all of the athletes for last weekend and good luck to eight of our cross country runners competing at English Schools on the 19th March.
Behaving charitably and supporting those in our School and local community, is one of the principles upon which Woodbridge School was built. Students, within their houses, work to raise funds for individual charities each year including The Teapot Project, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, RDA Woodbridge and Zest (part of St Helena Hospice, Ipswich), and this year has already seen tremendous effort from every student! Working towards winning a cup in recognition for their charitable efforts, each house holds a number of different events or takes part in sponsored activities in order to raise money, and below we report on just a few of the activities which have taken place recently as well as those that have taken place supporting other causes close to the hearts of those at School.
Seckford House – The Teapot Project
A delicious cake sale was held by students of Seckford House earlier in March, raising a grand total of £218.50!
A sweet sale, found students selling everything from lollipops, Haribo and mystery pick n mix bags of sweets, recently and unsurprisingly (everyone loves sweets!) reported a fantastic turn out from the School community, money is still being collected and counted (we have to make sure all the sweets are sold!) and we’ll update this in the future confirming the amount raised.
The Teapot Project which works to stop unsold supermarket and farm food from going to waste, rescuing and redistributing it on a Pay As You Feel basis. Helping to reduce food waste and hunger, the charity is based in Woodbridge. For further information, including how you can support the charity, please visit About – The Teapot Project
Florence and Charlotte’s abseil
Florence, Charlotte and their mum Jules, recently abseiled down a 13 storey building, The Pelican Hotel next door to St George’s Hospital, in aid of their cousin Izzy Wilson, and her Smile Fund. Izzy sadly lost her fight against Leukaemia a little over two years ago at just 11 years old, and the fund was set up as she had decided she wanted to repay the kindness she had received in hospital, but sadly she wasn’t able to finalise her plans. Her parents set up the Izzy Wilson Smile Fund to make sure her wishes were put into action; raising money to help create a more welcoming and child-friendly environment, providing a range of child-friendly activities and supporting the wards with things that are over and above what is normally able to be provided.
Huge congratulations to Florence, Charlotte and their mum, they’ve raised almost £8,000 so far!
On Tuesday 8 March, Woodbridge School held An Evening of Vocal Music at St Mary’s Church in the town; and for the first time in nearly two years the Church was filled with an unlimited audience.
The amassed choirs of Woodbridge Prep and Senior Schools provided an exceptional evening of song, directed by Miss Weston and Miss Barnes, accompanied by Christine Stafford.
The senior Chamber Choir set the bar high with an uplifting rendition of Finzi’s ‘My Spirit Sang All Day’ to begin the concert, and thoroughly deserved the rousing applause they received for ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.
The Prep School Chamber Choir was perfection itself as they told the story of David and Goliath, and no-one could deny that the Vocal Fellas showed true unity in their moving performance of ‘Fix You’.
‘You Raise Me Up’, performed by Vocal Bellas, brought many a tear for our wonderfully warm audience who seemed to enjoy the wide and varied programme.
Chorum fought against the odds of being down by two members to give a moving and poignant performance of ‘Home to You’.
The evening finished with every single student performing ‘Down by the Riverside’; the words, “I’m going to lay down my sword and shield” fitting words for such challenging times.
No one could deny the evening was one of musical celebration and fantastic performances and this was shown in a full standing ovation for the students – high praise indeed.
Mr Ray Travasso commented on the evening, and so we summarise in the words of one of our parents, “What an amazing concert!!! Thank you so much for putting on such a beautiful evening at St Marys Church yesterday. Your passion, enthusiasm and connection with the students was so lovely to witness. The repertoire was incredible and provided a meaningful response to everything that is going on in our world right now. It takes hard work, commitment, patience and years to get the students to the point at which they arrived last night. Thank you.”
It continues to be a busy time for Woodbridge U12A, U12B, U12C, U13C and U14B netball teams, and despite some challenging weather during one particular match there have been some great results.
U14B Woodbridge v Northgate, 15-20 , Player of the Match: Tabitha
Last Thursday Woodbridge U14B netball team travelled to play a league game against Northgate A team. The score was tight throughout the first three quarters with Woodbridge two goals behind. The last quarter saw Woodbridge pull to 15, just before the opposition pulled away to 15-20.
With a large squad of 11, lots of players gained valuable match play experience during the game. Tabitha was awarded Player of the Match yet again by the opposition, but all the girls played well getting the ball in our attacking circle and giving the team and players lots of shooting practice.
U12C/ U13C Woodbridge v Orwell Park, 10-8, Player of the match: Rocky
On Wednesday, a squad of 12 players for the U12C/ U13C netball played against Orwell Park in a block set of fixtures at home. Following a somewhat shaky start which saw the first quarter score at 0-3, Woodbridge rallied for the second bringing the score to 4-3.
The third quarter saw Orwell Park pull the game back to 6-7, leaving a tense final quarter which ended in a final score of 10-8 for Woodbridge.
The opposition voted Rocky Player of the Match, recognition for many of the goals she was responsible for scoring. With feisty defending from Amelia, Olivia and Matcha Woodbridge also demonstrated some great linking play from Ella and Evie.
Congratulations to all the girls that took part, they celebrated with and enjoyed a cooked tea afterwards.
U12B Woodbridge v Orwell Park, 7-3, Player of the Match: Violet
Also on Wednesday, Woodbridge U12Bs, with the return of Rosa, played Orwell Park, in what proved to be difficult conditions. The girls found the first quarter difficult because of the slippery surface but learnt to keep their passes short and use the width of the court.
In the final two quarters of the game Woodbridge had settled in to the conditions and were playing their own game, spreading out more and cutting in front of their players to receive the ball. The shooters, Emilia, Romilly and Grace had their eyes in and the goals became easier to achieve. In defence Violet, Honor, Chloe and Esmee made multiple interceptions.
The final result was 7-3 to Woodbridge, with Player of the Match awarded to Violet. It was a great game, in difficult conditions, but the team should be very happy with their performance.
U12A and U12B – South Suffolk Netball Tournament
The U12 A and B teams took part in the South Suffolk Netball Tournament at Chantry High School; the other two teams taking part were Chantry and St Joseph’s A teams.
Our two teams played each other in the first match with the A team understandably winning 15-0, with Isabella voted as player of the match by the opposition. The team of eight players rotated round each half of the three games to allow players to experience playing in different positions.
The second team the As played was Chantry High School A team where they won 10-1, with Georgia voted as player of the match.
Lastly, they played St Joseph’s School’s A team and won 9-0, with Felicity voted player of the match. The girls all played extremely well which was reflected in their own votes for player of the tournament, with most of the individuals mentioned, however two votes went to Annie.
U12B roundup
The U12 netball team have had an excellent run of results. Firstly, they played a mixed team from St Felix containing both Y7 and Y8 pupils. The girls needed to swap positions in order to find the strongest combination which resulted in a win 16-9.
Secondly, they took part in the South Suffolk A team tournament at Chantry, playing against Woodbridge As, St Jo’s and Chantry. Naturally the Woodbridge Bs lost against the Woodbridge A team, but they then went on to beat St Joseph’s College 6-4 and Chantry 7-3. This was a very pleasing whole team performance. The centre court players, Sophie, Emma, Francesca and Grace maximised their energy levels to give quick, decisive and committed performances. Player of the Match was Romilly.
Finally, the U12Bs played Orwell Park on Wednesday, the squad increasing again with the return of Rosa. The girls found the first quarter difficult because of the slippery surface but learnt to keep their passes short and use the width of the court.
In the final two quarters of the game the girls had settled to the playing conditions and were playing their own game, by spreading out more and cutting in front of their players to receive the ball. The shooters, Emilia, Romilly and Grace had their eyes in and the goals became easier to achieve. In defence Violet, Honor, Chloe and Esmee made multiple interceptions.
The final result was 7-3 to Woodbridge. The team should be very happy with their performance. Player of the Match was Violet.
With matches against St Felix, New Hall and Ipswich High, it’s been a busy time for our U12A, U14B and U14C netball teams – match reports for each below.
U14C Woodbridge v St Felix, 15 – 17, Player of the match – Poppy.
Before half-term, the U14C team enjoyed their second match of the season against St Felix’s U14/15B team.
The girls knew this was going to a tough game as a number of players were a year older and a few inches taller, but the girls started strong; demonstrating good footwork, passing and marking well. By the end of the first quarter the score was 3-3.
Unfortunately, during the second quarter, the opposition became fast and furious; this saw the Woodbridge team attempting to play to their level, which unfortunately interrupted their flow. At half-time the score was 8-5 to St Felix.
During the second half of the game, Harper, Caoimhe and Martha all worked tirelessly in defence, trying to apply pressure on the shooters with Libby and Lucy helping in the centre court, picking up their attacking players. Tilly’s composure as centre enabled the team to regain flow and distribute the ball effectively down the court, into space and the attacking circle. There were some lovely set plays from the team’s defending end all the way down the court to our shooters which was incredibly aesthetically pleasing! Poppy, Jemima and Jasmine all had their eye in and converted our shots into goals, and when unsuccessful, chased the ball for the rebound.
The final score was 17 – 15 to St Felix, but it was a great game and a really good effort from the girls, one they should be proud of! Congratulations also to our Player of the Match Poppy.
U14B Woodbridge v St Felix, 19-11, Player of the match: Tabitha
Following on from their win against Ipswich school the week before, the U14B team played with a big squad against St Felix’s A team of Year 9/10 players. The match taking place at home on the Thursday before half term.
It turned out to be extremely useful having the extra players, as several of the girls have been involved in the whole School musical which ran through this particular week. Defensively the girls had to work hard to gain procession off their able, fast, opposition. With the score at 9-9 at the end of the third quarter, Lara came on to help defend their strongest player. Understandably, Lara was selected by the opposition as Player of the Match with the final score standing at 19-11. Our own A team voted Tabitha as Player of the Match; now a consistent choice in our games.
Some great balls were passed by Lily, working tirelessly in centre court. Alice, Martha, Eve and Tabitha also did a great job defending, while mid-court players Lilianna, Rose, and Lily kept the feeds into the circle to our shooter. Nancy and Ella moved quickly to get in front of their tall defenders ensuring good opportunities for goals!
Well done everyone that took part.
U14B Netball match v New Hall, 26-17, Player of the match: Ella
The U14B team played New Hall at home on Monday 28 February. The first two quarters saw the score line very close with 8-8 in the first and 12-12 in the second; both teams were playing some excellent netball.
Adding some more strength to the team in the third quarter saw the score line change to 21-13, and the last quarter, although close, was not close enough to change the final score of 26-17 to Woodbridge.
All the girls gave 100% and completely deserved the win. The opposition not surprisingly gave Lara player of the Match, while Mrs Knowles felt Ella had an excellent game too; not just her movement and shooting, but also her feisty defending.
Well done to all and the team is looking forward to their next league match.
U12A Woodbridge v Ipswich High, 33 – 5, Player of the Match: Amelie
There was another win under their belts for Woodbridge U12As, with a friendly match against Ipswich High.
Although at times the game was scrappy and the passing let them down and enabled the opposition to intercept. However, luckily our defenders Eva, Pip, Rosie and Annie marked tightly and made some super interceptions to ensure the team gained possession of the ball.
Izzy, Georgia, Amelie and Felicity all played a vital role in the shooting circle and shot some great goals. The final score was 33 – 5 to Woodbridge, and Player of the Match went to Amelie.
Huge well done to everyone, the team can look forward to their tournament which takes place on Monday 7 March at Chantry as well as their fixture against Orwell Park at home next Wednesday 9 March.
