About Millfield News
Gareth Edwards addresses Millfield's inaugural Sports' Colours Dinner
With Millfield School celebrating its 75th anniversary this month and to highlight the school's grand tradition of sporting excellence, it was timely for Millfield to launch an annual event in early June to celebrate its current sporting high flyers. The inaugural Sports' Colours Dinner brought together 1st Team Colours holders from twenty different sports, with their parents and coaches who have facilitated their success, and some of their predecessors from track and field.
Around 220 pupils and parents took the opportunity to celebrate Millfield's sporting year and meet with those who may have inspired them. Such guests included names from the School's Honours Board, such as Olympic medallists Duncan Goodhew, Dominic Mahony and Kate Winckless, and Internationals Joey Barrington, John Feaver, Richard Harding and former Chair of England's Cricket Selectors, David Graveney, in what Secretary of the Old Millfieldian Society, John Davies described as the "most illustrious gathering of sporting OMs ever assembled".
The highlight for many was the opportunity to hear from perhaps the greatest rugby union player of all time, Gareth Edwards CBE. Edwards - an OM, former Millfield parent and recently retired Governor regaled the audience with stories of his school days and masters, and on to his illustrious playing career. The discipline he learned through the School and his parting shot to treat winning and losing with a smile will be long remembered.
Director of Sport, Dr Graeme Maw, paid tribute to his predecessors - among them John Davies, Rod Speed and Sue Woods - and to holding "the best job in sport". "Whatever direction you go on to take, in sport or commerce, the values and character you have developed through sport and the pursuit of personal excellence will hold you in good stead" the former Olympic Team Director advised the pupils.
The evening raised over £5700 through a raffle and auction to launch a Sports Tours Fund, to be overseen by the School Governors and Headmaster, to assist more needy pupils in joining the School's touring teams.
