Category: Sport

On Wednesday the year 6 A team travelled to Fram Prep to play a match. The A team arrived with an exited and a confident vibe. We started the first half of the match very well and Georgie scored one amazing goal. We had a few short corners but unfortunately we didn’t score a goal on any of them. The whistle went and we had a little pep talk about our play and went back on the pitch feeling confident.

The second half started off well. We managed to get the ball into the D very quickly. Frustratingly they managed to get the ball down and score a good goal. Sadly we didn’t have our usual goalie, but still did well and fought through. At the end of the match we drew, the score was 1 – 1. We did well because they were a very tough team to beat.

This was our best match so far in the season because we tried our hardest.

By Issy Deacon

On Wednesday The Abbey Y5 girls had a wonderful afternoon playing hockey with the girls from Old School Hensted. We mixed up the girls to create four teams and played a tournament which was very competitive. The results were close; two teams finished on the same points for second and third with the Green team the overall winners. The girls had great fun, made new friends and improved their hockey without really realising it.

The Sports Leaders had a diverse day which was interesting, informative and fun. Safeguarding and dementia talks, planning and running a Y7 tournament and skill session and a Circus Skills workshop.

Woodbridge Under 16s led by captain George Barker travelled to Finborough keen to impress, and wasted little time proving as much, as Alex Evans Lombe immediately created quick ball for centre Charlie Mayhew to score in the corner. Jonny Max converted for a 7-0 lead, and almost from the restart Tom Harrington nipped over in the corner to extend the lead to 12-0.

More followed: Gabe Newland bulldozed over from close range; Leo Brooks converted; Theo Wright cantered in for another which he converted himself; Gabe completed his brace after another crashing run in at the corner. 31-0 at half time!

Woodbridge took the opportunity at the interval to make a number of changes and, after a period of adjustment and with Josh Holland and James Moss starring at half back, the points began to flow again: first Alex pounced on loose ball to score his second, then Henry Bull finished off a driving maul, and finally Theo rampaged through the Finborough defence to round things off at a very satisfactory 46-0. Man of the match Gabriel Newland.

Many congratulations to the U14B girls’ hockey team for their very impressive 4-0 victory over Norwich. It was a beautiful but hot afternoon at Harleston, and our girls had a match plan as clear as the sky was blue, especially from those crucial set plays. From the off the girls chased the ball down, passed with measured effectiveness, and pushed up field menacingly. Indeed, in the first half play was mostly in Norwich’s final quarter of the pitch. Maisy Webster opened the scoring with a very nice powerful shot from 3m out; and a few minutes later the Woodbridge girls intercepted the ball and with more confidence worked to convert another cross into the goal, Cecily Royal-Dawson flicking the ball confidently past the goalkeeper. Meanwhile Ashleigh Wildbore was terrorising the Norwich girls with her ball speed down the right wing and she was the third player to score after an excellent run down the wing thanks to Talia Fawcett’s support. Emily Outen then rounded off the scoring in fine style as she slapped the ball from the left post across the keeper and into the goal – a textbook finish!

The whole team should be pleased with their performance. It was a joy to watch.

An early trip down to London with the normal busy traffic wasn’t enough to dampen the spirits of our four girls vying to become regional champions. We arrived at the venue in the nick of time and got straight on with our warm up. Our semi-final fixture against Westcliff High School was a tough affair with Woodbridge 3-1 down going into the doubles. Some spirited displays followed but we couldn’t get the victory and we had to settle for a place in the 3rd and 4th place playoff against Bungay High School. This is when the girls came into their own, winning 4-2 with some great individual and doubles tennis being played. A great day out and the 3rd place to keep the smiles on the faces of the girls. Well done to Victoria Burrows, Sophie Graham, Saffron Holliday and Annabel Yates.

Woodbridge Under 17s started the game just as they would have wished in their opening fixture: after early exchanges an interception on the Wymondham 22 allowed centre Oli Waldron to coast over with Saxon Gallo converting for a 7-0 lead.  However, Wymondham rallied strongly, and after a lengthy spell of balanced play, exerted enough pressure to create the opening for an equalising try, quickly followed by another thanks to an inspired 80m breakaway by their talented fly half.  7-12 and all to play for.  On came Chisom Oguamanam, and immediately he was running wide to create the opening taken on by James Owens to Alex Evans Lombe and Oli Bacon before Dominic Ellice-Freeman put Chisom away into the corner.  12-12!

The balance swung again almost immediately: Wymondham capitalised on a loose ball, and scored under the posts… 12-19; Woodbridge fought back with equal promptness and tenacity: and Oli Waldron broke free to feed Harry Hobday’s touchdown, Saxon Gallo converting for 19-19.

In a breathless finale Woodbridge were unlucky not to secure the win, in the end settling for a draw which reflected well on both teams. However there was much to be proud of in many aspects of the game. Man of the match was Oli Waldron, and special mention goes to Chisom Oguamanam for scoring on his debut.

Meanwhile the under fifteens came back strongly to win their second half against Wymondham with two unopposed tries, although our boys had to concede defeat overall.

Report by Will Clarke, Captain

The 1st XI took on RHS this week, recording an historic victory – the first victory for a Woodbridge School football first team for more than 25 years, so we were told! A lively first half peaked with our first goal, Seb Lamb scoring a free header. However, Seb was frustrated by the post in his attempt to double our lead from the penalty spot after he drew a foul from the keeper. Throughout the first half, our back line of Nathan and Alistar Lloyd, Alp Arioglu, and Matt Gerry, was sterling in defence, denying RHS many sights of goal, and the occasional chances RHS did create were met superbly by our goalkeeper Francis Norman.

The second half saw an increasingly dominant performance from Woodbridge, with chances created throughout. Seb Lamb completed his hat trick with two good finishes after concerted pressure, with Will Clarke, skipper for the day, striking the post, Izaac Chan having a goal disallowed for a narrow offside decision and Alp Arioglu denied a firm header by a tremendous save from the RHS keeper. As we began to tire, RHS were able to grab a consolation goal, which only gave us an added impetus, and Seb Lamb grabbed his fourth of the match in the last minutes, leaving the final score at 4-1. A resounding victory for Woodbridge.

Man of the match goes to Alp Arioglu, for a stunningly resolute performance in defence, denying RHS many chances. Special mentions to Jake Jay, for tireless running in the final third, and Matt Carter and Joe Farrall for composed play in the centre of the park.

Woodbridge, fielding many new faces including two making their rugby debuts (Ebuke Ofunne and Zaid Toubassey) were keen to open their season with a good team performance.

From the start Woodbridge dominated: Alex Barker opened the scoring and Tommy Burrows almost made it a quick second after running the length of the pitch, only for the try to be disallowed. Woodbridge continued to pressure and after a period of possession Henry Tetley scored out wide. Soon after Rob Stewart intercepted on the half way line and sprinted clear only to lose the ball in his final strides following a last gasp Orwell tackle. 2-0 at half time gave Woodbridge the upper hand despite the missed opportunities.

But Orwell Park started strongly and scored to reduce the Woodbridge lead. The response was quick: captain George Na Nakhorn led from the front and his forwards started to work well again. Josh Barstow started to dominate in the loose and Theo Howard made some trademark jinking runs. Fazil Akyol was lively all afternoon running from deep and constantly asked questions of his old teammates. It was only fitting that he scored after fine work from Felix Juszt and Alex Barker. With the game firmly in Woodbridge’s grasp Ed Buckingham rampaged over the line to seal a great win away from home. Much to work on but the players all responded well to their game plan to enjoy the taste of victory.

The sun was shining for the U12B team’s trip to Orwell Park. Straight off the bus and into the warm-up: there was no time for first game nerves for a lot of players who have never played a competitive game of rugby before. Orwell Park got off to a blinder scoring off the first play of the game, but this didn’t deter Woodbridge, first-timers Kai Hoang, Rufus Davis and Abhiram Durbakula in particular responding well. Woodbridge managed to get themselves on the scoresheet before half time with a barn-storming run from James Williams to score the try.

Orwell Park came out with all guns blazing for the second half, scoring twice to take the score to 3 tries to 1. The experience of Jonny Evans Lombe, Josh Turner, Daniel Jones, Oliver Laxton, Joe Wray, Jimmy Glendinning, Jack Gathorne-Hardy and Charlie Royal-Dawson had a telling effect as Woodbridge got themselves back into the game. Obi Ihenacho then scored two fantastic solo efforts, jinxing from side to side to bring the teams level. Orwell Park came back hard, and thought they would secure the win but for the most incredible try saving tackles by Barnaby Gibbon not just once but thrice to keep Woodbridge in the match. And then… the crucial moment! Hector McLean-Spruce scored the decisive try for Woodbridge to run out deserving winners.