About Millfield Sport News
Sports Desk - 9 January
Happy New Year to all our families and friends. We trust you enjoyed a peaceful festive season.
For many of our sports teams, the Christmas break was as active as ever, and we were certainly taken in to it on a high: The last Wednesday of term saw our rugby teams host Sedbergh in what was the first of what we intend to be "Sporting Showcases". The Sedbergh fixture highlights all that is best in school sport - bringing people together in a festival of youthful endeavour - and with parents and players from both sides, along with special friends of the school, the 1st XVs revelled in front of a crowd of nearly 500! Millfield were pleased to come out on top in that clash, 29-19, but it was fitting that the matches were shared 3-3 across the age groups.
Juxtaposed to this winter rugby showcase, our cricketers headed off to Sri Lanka for one of the toughest tours perhaps imaginable for young players. Sri Lankan sport is dominated by cricket, and the country provides both a sporting and cultural shock to be remembered forever. The tour party - ranging from County Academy 6th Formers to rookie Year 9s - played outstandingly to lose only 1 of their 8 matches, packed in to 15 days across the length and breadth of the country. Not only did they take in such prestigious Test grounds as Dambulla, Palekelle and Asigiriya (Kandy), but also perhaps the humbling highlight playing in Galle on ground reclaimed from 2004's tragic tsunami.
Our golfers had a more comfortable experience in the sun, with 14 pupils making the annual pilgrimage to their home-from-home at the Desert Springs Resort in Almeria, Spain. And our skiers completed the tour schedules with their annual visit to Tignes, moving back from artificial slopes (on which recently crowned National Schools Champions) on to real snow. While the early forecasts did not bode well, once on site the snow never stopped and the party enjoyed expert coaching in fresh deep powder every day.
Closer to home, Xavier Vrigneau moved up to 11th place in the second national Modern Pentathlon senior selection event of the year, claiming 4th in both the ride and combined run/shoot. At the start of December he placed 14th overall and will look to push on again at the final trial at the end of January. George Baily also caught his national selectors' eyes, earning a place on the British team for the European Junior Fencing Championships. Our swimmers claimed their place in the Arena League final with a close 2nd place behind Plymouth Leander in the Southern round. And in the final week of the holiday Daniel Poleshchuk and Angus Gillams both finished in the top 20 of the U17 British Junior Open, at which OM Marwan El Shorbagy confirmed his place as the World's top junior with another win in the U19s.
Millfield Cricket's development squad enjoy the view on their tour of Sri Lanka