Category: Woodbridgian Weekly

Another busy week of hockey last week, with matches for our 1st, U15A, U15B, and Junior 1, 2, 3 and 4 teams. Our match reports hold details of fixtures, including the County Cup, teams and players.

Woodbridge 1st team vs Wymondham
Match report by team coach, Mrs Rix
The 1st team started their open season against Wymondham College. Still missing our captain, Chloe, the team was led by Year 13’s Steph and Year 12’s Millie. Woodbridge started the stronger team, stringing passes together and getting into good attacking areas. Unfortunately, this good possession and confidence could not be converted into clear chances. Wymondham got into the game and things went end to end. Year 12’s Freya in goal made a few good saves in the nine-yard area but Wymondham finally got one in from close range. In the second half we played better and with more confidence, with some good transfer play in the midfield and year 11’s Lara making threatening runs through the middle. However, our final pass just lacked the accuracy required or we forced passes down a channel too much meant we could not build enough real pressure to convert into goals. Wymondham managed to score another field goal which spurred Woodbridge on to be more attacking; a few chances were created with Year 11’s Lara, Year 12’s Georgie getting shots off and Year 12’s Millie and Sophia combining well up the right hand side. Year 12’s Charlotte at central defence had another good game, stepping up well and Year 12’s Rose and Year 13’s Ada were assertive at outside defence. A frustrating third goal was conceded at a penalty corner close to the end of the game. Some training ground time will put this right for next time. Well done to each player who represented the team and worked very hard.

Woodbridge U15A vs Fram U15 Development team
Match report by team coach, Mrs Johnson
On an unseasonably warm Tuesday evening our U15A team took on an U15 development team from Fram college. Both teams featured Year 10 and year 9 students. The crowd support on the side of the pitch was great and the match didn’t disappoint. A great display of teamwork with the girls playing out of positions at times, led to a sound victory. Year 10’s Freya kept goal brilliantly, clearing to the sides and making sure nothing went past her (even though the ball hit the post at one point in a goal mouth scuffle!) Great goals by year 10’s Lily (a rebound from a PC), two for Year 10’s Charlie, and one for Year 10’s Bea sealed the victory! Well done and thanks to all the support from the sidelines and Mr Brous for umpiring!

Woodbridge U15A matches vs Norwich High School for Girls
Match report by team coach, Mrs Johnson

During games lessons later in the week the team played against Norwich High School at Magpies. After a bit of a journey we woke up during our warm-up and hit the ground running. With the majority of the possession we played with determination and drive and scored our first goal within the first seven minutes from Bea; Aurelia put away an excellent deflection from a penalty corner and we went into half time 2-0 up. A change of ends brought their goalie alive and if it wasn’t for her we would have scored many more goals but were thankfully gave ourselves more of a cushion with a penalty corner finish from Charlie. Norwich scored close to the end of the game we managed to defend a number of penalty corners well to keep the lead intact. Highlights from the game were our play up the right of the pitch and better communication amongst our team. Well done!! Freya’s save with her glove was the save of the afternoon!

Woodbridge U15B hockey
Match report by Team coach Mrs Pilkington

The U15B team had a very exciting encounter against Norwich High School for Girls. The fixture was split in to four quarters with rolling subs. The Woodbridge girls were enthusiastic from the start testing the Norwich HS defence straight away. The play was very even; Woodbridge scored first with a clean strike from Ellie, with Norwich HS coming straight back with a goal of their own. Margot scored a second at the end of the first quarter. Going into the second quarter Norwich HS equalized again but Ellie struck home once more to take the lead, one which was maintained for the rest of the match. In the third quarter Evie battled her way into the circle and converted an excellent shot at goal. Finally, a fifth goal was scored thanks to fresh legs and the determination of Issy. A well-deserved result from a very enthusiastic team!

Woodbridge Junior 1 vs Fram
Match report by Team coach Mrs Rix

Wednesday saw us being treated to some fantastic away matches against Fram College, beginning with the Junior 1 team who played a remarkable match against a very strong Fram team. The players quickly adjusted to a somewhat different press to try nullify Fram’s ‘three at the back’. The team worked endlessly to keep the opposition at bay, and indeed Year 8’s Bay in goal was a super star. Say no more! Simply outstanding. Play was intense and each player had to be at their best to control the ball, play it up the pitch and create several chances of our own. The Fram GK made some important saves as the last ten minutes approach, all still square. With seven minutes to go, one third phase play snuck through the defences. Woodbridge gave it their all, even playing with seven outfield players but Fram held firm for the narrowest of wins. Bay was our undisputed player of the match! Thanks to all who supported the game, it was truly one for the memory banks!

Woodbridge Junior 2 vs Fram
The Junior 2s were disappointed with a frustrating defeat, despite being the better team. Woodbridge started brightly scoring early, but Fram came straight back against the run of play. Woodbridge went ahead again and kept their lead into half time. Three goals in quick succession early in the second half knocked the wind out of the Woodbridge sails. Woodbridge kept fighting and managed to regain momentum, being frustrated but good saves to deny them more goals. Woodbridge did ultimately have the last say to score a bit of a consolation goal to bring the scores close together. Well done to all who played their part in an end-to-end, high-scoring and exciting game. Well done to goal scorer and player of the match, Year 8’s Lottie and Charlie on scoring a brace.

Woodbridge Junior 3 vs Fram
Match report by Team coach Miss Hinton

Another excellent display from a strong and confident Junior 3 team. A brilliant team effort that started with great clearances from keeper Year 7’s Clem, defenders keeping the ball out of the middle of the pitch and using the width to play around the opposition, well marshalled by Year 8’s Abigail C and fellow Year 8’s Abigail N. The solid defence allowed the midfield to play with more freedom and wide midfielders Year 7’s Evie, Rebecca and Kirsty worked tirelessly to support the forwards and set up a number of goals, two for Year 8’s Grace and one for Year 7’s Imogen . The driving force and opposition’s player of the match, Year 8’s Eirann kept bulldozing her way through the centre and was rewarded time and again with a handful (literally five!) goals herself. Unbeaten so far, a wonderful follow up match!

Woodbridge Junior 4 vs Fram
Match report by Team coach Miss Sanders
The Junior 4s played another strong and successful game last week. Passing the ball effectively and defending nearly every ball with super tackles, they dominated their opposition from start to finish. Our forwards fought hard in our attacking D and had numerous shots on goal, including deflections, and our midfielders and defence, including our two goal keepers, Year 8’s Freya and Year 7’s Bea kept a clean sheet. Great teamwork by all – well done! Well done to Year 8’s Alice on a Player of the match performance and two goals, and fellow goal scorers, Year 8’s Marina and Year 7’s Sienna.

Woodbridge Junior 1s at the County Cup Friday 6 October
Match report by Mrs Rix
A busy hockey week was ended by yet another cup event; this time the England Hockey U13 Suffolk Cup. Woodbridge played five pool games; in one of the highest quality county cups in many years. All matches were closely contested and there was no runaway best team all day. Woodbridge started well against Old Buckenham Hall, and did everything right but score. Year 8’s Bay was again on top form, making two telling saves – one stick saves – likely the save of the day. A draw was a solid start.

Next was a defeat against Fram but not a match we were targeting. Perhaps the match against Barnardiston saw Woodbridge rue previously missed opportunities and they just could not quite get going… another draw. Starting to fire properly again against Ipswich High school, Woodbridge went ahead and looked confident to see the match out. However, a fantastic bit of play up the right and a fantastic deflection in front of goal saw the High School draw level. So frustrating but a goal worthy of getting a point out of the match.

Playing for pride and still focussing on getting better all the time, Woodbridge had nothing to lose against Culford. We dominated and got the win we deserved all day. Three draws, one loss and one win from five matches saw us finish 3rd in the pool of six. Not too shabby but this team is hungry for more and I am sure there is much for to come from a very talented bunch over the next half a decade.

Thanks to all the parents who supported us so well. Well done to Year 8’s Annabelle and Amelie for superb leadership during the day. Congrats to Year 7’s Jasmine making her Junior 1 debut, and thanks very much to Mr Pineo for umpiring all morning.

Our U12B, U13 and U14 rugby teams have been out in force playing a tournament, a match and a derby. Our match reports hold details and information about our players and those matches.

Woodbridge U12B vs Fram
A spontaneous three-team tournament was in order at Framlingham Prep School; two Woodbridge teams and one Fram Prep team. The glorious sunshine shone down on a festival of strong defensive rugby and tries galore. Woodbridge Red Team started with an emphatic performance against Fram scoring numerous tries and keeping Fram from scoring. Next up the two Woodbridge sides met and in a frantic 16-minute game of rugby, only two tries were scored, both to Woodbridge Reds. The most pleasing part of the game was how both defences stood up to some fine passing and running skills. Woodbridge Blue team got their chance to get on the scoresheet against a rejuvenated Fram team scoring five tries to Fram’s two. Well done to all involved in a fun day of rugby!

Woodbridge U13 vs Fram
The U13s travelled to Fram Prep School to take part in a game which tested the boys both physically and skilfully. Woodbridge started strong putting together multiple attacks which broke the Framlingham defence only to be snuffled by some good defence close to the Fram try line. Woodbridge continued to apply the pressure and so great running lines from Digby, Oscar W, Jacob, Noah and Frank, soon saw Woodbridge take the lead. After half time Fram sparked some attacks of their own really testing the defence of Woodbridge, breaking through the gain line and making the boys scramble in defence and on one occasion Fram capitalised to open their scoring. Woodbridge responded well by scoring a few more tries of their own with some big carries from Seth, Jamie and Oscar D to grind out a good win against a good Fram. A great afternoon of rugby. Well done to the U13s.

Woodbridge U14 vs Farlingaye
The Woodbridge derby between Woodbridge School and Farlingaye lived up to the high expectations with what was a closely fought encounter. Woodbridge managed to keep Farlingaye from scoring in the first half with some courageous defending and used some direct hard running to score three tries. The second half started frantically and Farlingaye got the upper hand scoring two well worked tries to bring scores close. This was a pivotal moment in the game where a lesser side would have capitulated, not Woodbridge. Managing to get a grip back on the game Woodbridge scored more tries to put the game out of sight. Well done to try scorers Zachary, Liam, Oliver Y and Oscar. A fantastic game and spectacle for the loyal spectators to see.

Our netball report holds details of our U14 and U16 teams who secured a place at the County round of the National Schools’ Netball tournament earlier this week, as well as news of our U19 team’s tournament matches.

Woodbridge U14s secure place at County round
Massive congratulations to the U14 Netball team who secured a place at the County round of the National Schools’ Netball tournament earlier this week after being undefeated. They started the afternoon with strong performances against RHS and Ipswich High School where they came away with two wins, followed by a tough match against Farlingaye, who made the girls work hard, but again, after some superb defending all the way down the court and shooting, we won. Our next three games were against East Bergholt, Ipswich School and St Jo’s. Again, the girls put on extremely strong performances and came away with another three wins. They definitely rose to the challenge against St Jo’s who put pressure on our shooters in the first half of the game to try and keep them away from the circle, but we quickly adapted our play in the second half to counteract this pressure and again, we were successful.

Playing six matches on the bounce without a break was always going to be tiring for the team, but every single player, played with the utmost grit, determination, and desire to succeed – something they should be extremely proud of. Various combinations enabled players to try out different positions and to give our centre court a much-needed break. During the afternoon, the team scored a total of 94 goals and only conceded 32, which is a fantastic achievement.

Well done, girls, on an excellent afternoon of netball and a well-deserved place in the next round. Thank you also to the amazing sideline of supporters!

Woodbridge U19s tournament matches
Our U19s had more of a difficult challenge in their respective tournament. With Year 10’s Lyrah and Millie both making their debut due to injuries, the team played some brilliant netball during the afternoon and did not give up without a fight. Facing physically strong opposition who dominated us on occasions was difficult, but when we managed to find our feet and play our own game, we played excellently as a team, defending hard and picking up lose interceptions and following every missed shot for the rebounds.

Our first game against Ipswich School was a tough one, but at half time we were down by three goals, so all to play for. Unfortunately, with their quick and dominating play, which we allowed them to do, they went ahead and won the game. Next, was another physically strong and well-drilled team, RHS, who we let dominate us. Again, we could not adapt to their style of play and narrowly lost. With three matches left against St Jo’s, Ipswich School Bs and Ipswich High, we had everything to play for. It was all even in our match against St Jo’s, and after this, the girls knew they could win their last two matches. It was another tight game against Ipswich School B, but we won and then in our last match we played the best netball we had all afternoon, and the girls were proud of their performance as they should have been. Coming away with a convincing win, was a great way to end the afternoon.

Well done, girls, on a superb effort! We were unlucky not to secure a place, but all to play for next year!

Woodbridge U16s also secure place at County round
The U16s qualified on Tuesday afternoon for the next round in November after a very hot afternoon of intense netball. The girls played six games of 14 minutes on the bounce without a break and did so well. We won our first three games against St Jo’s, East Bergholt High School, and knew that we needed to win at least five out of the six games.

We unfortunately lost our next game against Ipswich School but pulled another win out of the bag in our next game versus Ipswich High School. We had some tired players on our hands, and some suffering from colds but they battled on nonetheless.

Unfortunately, we met a strong Farlingaye side and lost and then had a nail-biting wait to see if we had qualified, which we had!! There were some standout performances from Lara who played in every zone on the court and ran her socks off, Bonnie who shot and commanded our attacking circle really well, Juno and Georgia who dominated our defence and Phoebe who played brilliantly when she stepped on the court.

All the girls should be proud of themselves, it was a great display of teamwork and resilience. Well done.

Students were at the MUN Manchester conference last Friday and Saturday, which took place at Cheadle Hulme School. Two of our Year 12 students, Bruce and Harry, shared their reviews of the conference.

From myself and everybody who attended the Manchester Cheadle Hulme MUN Conference on the 6 and 7 of October 2023, we would like to thank the School for the brilliant opportunity to attend such a fun and educational event.

We debated a wide range of topical issues from the perspective of Saudi Arabia and Czechia. These included the deep-rooted spread of misinformation and disinformation in our societies, concerns over the use of AI by the individual and the state, tragedies caused by so-called ‘honour killings’ due to cultural differences, and, in the ever-revered Historic Security Council, the horrific disaster at Chernobyl in 1986.

Our delegates managed to take home multiple awards:

Bruce (Year 12) – Commended Delegate award in Science
Jack (Year 10) – Best Young Delegate award in Historical Security Council
Oscar (Year 8) – Best Young Delegate award in Youth
Ariana (Year 12) – Special Mention

Ariana also single-handedly won Highly-Commended Delegation award in The Special Forum, while competing against delegations with multiple delegates working together.

Furthermore, two more of our students, Year 13’s Kitt and Year 9’s Maxim were appointed Guest Chairs, developing constructive working partnerships with the local students and, in the words of one of the organisers, chairing debates with an ‘iron fist’!

Overall, we have had a great time and even the delegates who did not win awards being part of the conversation on topical global issues alongside some of the best schools from not only England but various parts of Europe.
– Bruce and Harry, Year 12

Running Success for Henry, Iwan, Romily and Felicity
There was success for a number of our students at different events last weekend, with Year 13’s Henry making his senior debut for Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers in the South of England Road Relays’, Year 12’s Iwan running his debut half marathon while Year 9’s Romily and Felicity also took part in the Southern Relays.

Henry’s South of England Road Relay Record
At the age of just 17, Year 13’s Henry made his senior debut for Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers at the South of England 6 Stage Road Relays in Aldershot on Saturday 23 September. Surrounded by a team of senior national level talent, Henry ran the second 6km leg in 18:25 (3:04/km) and Shaftesbury won the South of England title in 1:47:23 (36km in under 3 min/km) to break the South of England record that had stood since 1997. An incredible debut experience!

Shaftesbury have just announced their squad to compete at the National Road Relays in Birmingham this Saturday 7 October, and we are super excited to announce that Henry is once again included in the senior men’s team.

We wish Henry and Shaftesbury the very best of luck on the National stage.

Romily and Felicity’s Southern Relay Success
At the Southern relays, two of our Junior athletes competed for the very first time for their new club St Edmund Pacers. Year 9’s Romilly ran an exceptional 11:16 for her 3km leg, with the team finishing a very strong 8th, and also in Year 9, Felicity ran a brilliant 11:29 in her 3km, for a very strong first leg for her team that finished 38th .

A great day of competitive relays.

Iwan’s Cardiff Half Marathon
On Sunday 1 October Year 12’s Iwan ran his debut half marathon in Cardiff. England Athletics rules only allow entry after the age of 17 at this distance, so this was very much a first opportunity for Iwan.

Cardiff Half Marathon is a popular fixture on the road racing circuit attracting entries from around the globe – won again this year by a Kenyan athlete!

Iwan had a phenomenal debut finishing 237th in a race with 19,915 finishers – quite something!

His time at 1:21:32 is just over 6 min/ mile pace or 3:51/km. Well done Iwan, who was also raising money for charity through this challenge.

Our U14 team played their first round fixture in the Sisters n Sport Cup against a strong Norwich side at home on Monday lunchtime. Taking a while to settle into the game, when they did find their feet they played very well – and were successful in the first quarter.

Unfortunately, Norwich were on the back foot so were driven to close the three-goal gap in the second quarter, which they fought hard to do. We let them go ahead by six goals, which meant we had to play hard to ensure we closed the gap.

Luckily, the team worked together to connect their passes and convert the shots into goals and managed to close the gap by four goals. With a couple of injuries going into the final quarter, it resulted in positional changes, which unfortunately disrupted our flow as we had found a rhythm in the previous quarter. However, the girls did not give up playing with determination, although their heads dropped as Norwich pulled ahead, which they took advantage of.

Despite losing the match, the team enjoyed the challenge of an indoor cup fixture against a strong and physical team, and look forward to the South Suffolk Tournament which takes place next week. A good effort, well done!

This week saw a number of our teams take part in a variety of Cup competitions. Below you can read our cup match reports from Mrs Rix, Head of Hockey.

Woodbridge U15 vs Greshams
On Monday 25 September a new-look U15 team travelled to Greshams for our first ever match in the Independent Schools Cup. The team also featured four Year 9 players (Issy H, Eve, Georgia and Amelie) who did very well playing a year up. The team had a somewhat slow start and went a couple of goals down before firing on all cylinders. Each player grew in confidence, speed and creativity and we started to create chances as half time approached. With momentum on their side, there was further promising play, using positive through balls to the forwards and being structured in defence. Greshams held strong though and progress to the next round. Well done to player of the match, team captain, Year 10’s Charlie.

Woodbridge U15A vs RHS
The lessons learned from their first match were put to good use later in the week, when the U15A team travelled to Royal Hospital School. Woodbridge started with a real spring in their step with Bea scoring an early goal. If Woodbridge wanted to relax after the good start, this was not to be, as RHS came straight back. The hockey was great to watch with it being end-to-end but our team looked more in tune with each other and we were awarded a penalty corner that Charlie put away. Some sterling penalty corner defence saw the team going into half time in the lead. Excellent work done in defence by Lyrah , Millie, Lexi and Liya – and Freya in goal! Lyrah stepped up in the first five minutes of the second half to score a screamer of a penalty corner which extended our lead. With some great play up the line, Eloise running the baseline and us having plenty of chances, RHS broke away to score a scrappy goal down our end. Nevertheless, we kept fighting and Bea put a beautiful goal away after a penalty corner first shot. Excellent running from Scarlett, Lily F, Ellie and Meda was matched by inventive midfield play from Lily M, Margot, and Aurelia. Well done girls!

Woodbridge 1st team England Hockey U18 T4 Cup
The 1st team played in a very competitive first County Round of the England Hockey T4 Cup on Tuesday 26 September. Congratulations to debutants: Year 12’s Charlotte H and Sophia, year 11’s Eve, Georgia P, Lara and Bonnie, and year 10’s Bea and Charlie. Tightly contested matches were played against Culford, Ipswich High School, Ipswich School 2nd team, Finborough and RHS. The team showed massive resilience and leadership dealing with various difficulties during the day, changing positions and stepping in everywhere needed on the pitch, and running until there was nothing left. A day filled with learning in executing creative attacking play and defending as a unit set the team up nicely for the season ahead.

Woodbridge 2nd team and 3rd team vs Norwich High School
The 2nd team and 3rd senior team played against Norwich High School and both came away with good performances and wins. We are blessed with a large number of senior (Year 11 to 13) players playing hockey this season, and showing the depth of talent at Woodbridge School. It was an excellent first outing for the 2nd XI, passing the ball well, tackling well and creating some good chances. Every player got good pitch time and played in their favoured position, and a position they hadn’t played before. The opposition GK was very good and thwarted many of the attacks, however, a quick strike by year 12’s Eloise resulted in a weak save and Year 11’s Nancy was there to tap in the rebound. After that, Woodbridge dominated and looked like they would score lots more. Year 12’s Olivia worked tirelessly up front and got her reward with a well worked goal from the left, and Year 12’s Rosie also impressed throughout and got her reward with a tap in at the far post, after lots of good inter play in midfield. Year 12’s Marina held the midfield together and Year 13’s Ada was a rock in defence. Well done all!

The 3rd team started with a superb match. A tight game to start with both sides showing some strong play down the middle of the pitch but Woodbridge managed to capitalise first through a cracking quick shot from Year 11’s Eliza. What ended up being a to-and-fro half, Woodbridge managed to make the attacking play count and score more goals by Year 11’s Lilianna, Rose and Martha. The second half was nervy with both sides having chances but again Woodbridge made them count with Year 13’s Kitty scoring a well-worked goal. Well done to all who played in an eventful and thrilling first game of the term and well done to Lilianna who was chosen as Player of the Match by the opposition.

Woodbridge U14 England Hockey T2 Cup
On Thursday 28 September Woodbridge School hosted RHS and Finborough to compete for the County Cup, and to see who will go on to represent the County at the Regional Event. Woodbridge had a great afternoon, growing in confidence and skill; the team moving the ball like they have been playing together for a long time. Year 9’s Eve and Georgia controlled the midfield while Year 9’s Issy and Amelie were threatening up front. From the back, GK Eva from Year 9 was incredibly vocal, and together with defensive team of Year 9’s Sophie P, Felicity, Annie and Year 8’s Ella, they made sure that Woodbridge didn’t concede a single goal in their two matches, while scoring five goals for themselves. Woodbridge became Suffolk Champions with two wins from two, and go on to the Regional Rounds which take place in early November. Well done to Year 8’s Amelie, Annabelle, Ella and Jemima who played a year up and were superb. Player of the tournament for Woodbridge was co-captain, Year 9’s Eve.

With various rugby matches for our U12, U12A, U12B and U14 teams last week, our match reports below hold details of teams and players, as well as their performances – and a trophy win for our U12s! Match reports by Mr Gage, Head of Rugby.

Woodbridge U12A vs Felsted
Another great game of Year 7 rugby saw a further step up in performance from our boys, although ultimately a disappointing result. This was a game played at a frantic tempo but with good quality throughout. Woodbridge showed real progress with a focus on improving our width and depth in attack whilst retaining our physicality and competitiveness in contact. Scores were level at half time following a strong line break from Felsted and a well worked reply from Giles for the home team. In an even second half, Felsted scored two further tries, breaking through a rather disjointed defensive line to comfortably run the ball home from distance. Dexter finished another good move in the middle of these but with the last play called, Woodbridge were unable to level the game, an unfortunate fumble seeing the ball lost forward with a five-man overlap waiting eagerly on the wings. A thoroughly enjoyable game that promises much for the future!

Woodbridge U12B vs Felsted – Year 7
The first home game of the season for our Year 7s was greeted by numerous fans who were treated to a festival of flowing rugby from the U12B team. The challenge was to get an organised attack and defence throughout the game and the students rose to the challenge. Defensively only conceding one try in 40 minutes of rugby is fantastic and a great achievement. On the attacking side of the game numerous tries were scored from various different players including Dylan, Olly, George L, George B, Monty, Alexander and George. The team have come up with next games challenge of passing the ball more effectively and using the width of the pitch. Well done to all involved.

Woodbridge U13 vs St Felix
The under 13’s took on St Felix in their first home fixture of the season. The encounter saw many tries and some great free flowing rugby from our Year 8s. Woodbridge focused on creating depth in attack and managed to score some great tries moving the ball swiftly through the hands to score in the corner. Woodbridge had many players on the score sheet including Digby, Jamie, Jacob, Frank, Oscar, Max just to name a few. A special mention to those players that switched to play for the other team – a great show of sportsmanship and playing within the values of the game. A great opening home fixture

Woodbridge U14 Rugby 74 vs 14 Felixstowe
First home game of the term and Woodbridge Year 9 players, who delighted the crowd with some flowing attacking rugby. The first half was full of strong direct running and a disciplined defence. The second half included some end to end rugby with both teams scoring well worked team tries. Well done to all involved especially the try scorers Oliver Y, Liam, Charlie Dean, Zac, Oliver M, Oscar, Barney and Isaac.

Woodbridge U12 Rugby Festival at Finborough
The U12 team headed to Finborough for a tournament on Sunday 1 October, for a tournament full of strongly competitive teams which really tested the players’ ability. Woodbridge started off with against a strong Fram side followed up with fixtures against Witham RFC, Colchester Royal Grammar School and Finborough. Throughout each match Woodbridge noticeably increased the tempo and the intensity in which they played. Woodbridge finished with three great wins to finish in second place in the group. Woodbridge then moved into the Trophy tournament with where they played against Stowemarket RFC and Greshams School winning both games. Woodbridge showed great determination, teamwork, and unity to finish as well deserved 2023 trophy winners.

Drama students travelled to London last week, for a musical fest of Cabaret and Guys and Dolls. We have reports from two of our drama scholars, Rose and James from Year 12, sharing their thoughts and experiences of the trip and the shows.

Cabaret – Kit Kat Club
Review from Year 12’s James

Our first show, Cabaret, was an absolutely stunning experience, shocking but absorbing. Cabaret is a musical about two couples’ romantic adventures in Berlin, and the impact that the rising Nazi party has on their relationships. As we entered the Kit Kat Club, the reality of London was banished behind, magically transformed into a club with live music, dancing on top of bars, and an anticipatory buzz that thrummed throughout the venue. The show might seem light-hearted at first, yet the darker undertones grow throughout, as the Nazi party gain power, and the audience’s laughs die down, replaced by nervous fidgeting. The stripped back nature of the show just allows the humanity to seep through; it’s truly inspirational work to watch. As we exited back into the London sun, we were speechless, utterly awestruck. The fact that a 14-piece orchestra and 10 cast members can ignite such a soul-stirring reaction in an audience is incredible.

Guys and Dolls – Bridge Theatre
Review from Year 12’s Rose

One of Broadway’s most famous musicals, Guys and Dolls, a witty tale of gamblers and good-for-nothing rogues tamed by women too good for them, has been revived into a flawless immersive production by Nicholas Hytner. Guys and Dolls is a perfect juxtaposition of slyness and sweetness, following Sky Masterson and his attempt to woo the tight-laced missionary, Sarah Brown, to win a bet against local Crap game runner, Nathan Detroit. The impeccably choreographed rising and falling platforms, were slap bang in the middle of the standing audience, bringing us right up close to the action. This, however, would not have been possible without the team of stage managers who deftly manoeuvred the audience around, all dressed as NYC cops. The vibrancy of New York was not only brought to life by the set, but also the eclectic range of characters we met along the way. Sleek and professional, each of the actors gave an exceptional performance, showcasing their phenomenal dance and vocal talents. From the beautiful romantic ballad of “I’ll know, I’ve never been in love before,” to the pristine gospel vibrato of “Sit down, you’re rocking the boat,” I watched enraptured. Even after the actors had given their final bows, we continued to dance into the night (until we had to leave for our train!) Never had I envisioned when going to London that I would end up being transported to 1950’s Manhattan for the party of the year!

This week we spoke to Year 12’s Rose, and Year 13’s Esme who play Lucy, the maid and Lydia the aircraft delivery pilot in Jack Absolute Flies Again, our Sixth Form Production which will take place on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 November – tickets will be on sale soon!

Joining them in the theatre as they rehearse a scene together, it was clear that the actors were comfortable and in character, as they moved around the stage and interacted with one another – and the audience. Working together on a comedy, both agreed it was an exciting new project given that the most recent productions in School were of a more serious nature; but they also agreed it was just as challenging, if not more so, and that it wasn’t a case of “just playing characters ‘over the top’ and being silly, but working out how to get the best reaction and interact with the audience”.

Year 12’s Rose, who is no stranger to the stage having recently played Connor’s mother in the School’s production of A Monster Calls explained how she felt about playing the part of Lucy, a lively, down to earth and rather colourful young maid, “I hadn’t had the privilege of seeing the play when it was streamed recently as part of the enrichment programme, so I didn’t realise what an important and brilliant character Lucy is until I read the play. Knowing what her character is and the role she plays in almost everything! She inhabits all the worlds of the play, and as this is a modern adaptation, she also has a love interest and her own story which is lovely to play.” She continued, “The biggest challenge is timing, in terms of making sure the lines land at the right time and in the correct way, but it’s an enjoyable challenge as the last role I had was incredibly serious – and although also fun to play, Lucy is something quite different.”

Year 13’s Esme echoed Rose’s sentiments having also been in a more serious production, Romeo and Juliet, where she played the part of love-struck Juliet most recently. Sharing her thoughts on playing the part of Lydia she said, “I’d been fortunate enough to have seen the screening of the play last year, so Lydia was a character I was super keen to play – and so was the part of Lucy actually! Lydia goes on quite a journey throughout the play and there’s a balance to be found between going serious while at the same time making that funny – pauses in the right place, expression and suggestion are what’s needed, and I’m really having fun getting to know how I’m going to play the character as we rehearse more and more.”

We look forward to seeing both Rose and Esme perform, as well as meeting other characters from the play in the next few weeks as we join rehearsals and interview other cast members.