Sport Round Up - October 2024

In Cross Country, all four Millfield teams qualified for the second round of the English Schools Cross Country Cup following the Round 1 fixture at Downside School on Monday 7 October. The next round (South West Regional Final) takes place on Saturday 9 November at Taunton Racecourse. The Inter Boys team were first, while the Inter Girls team were second. The Senior Girls team were second while the Senior Boys team were first. 

In Equestrian, on 28 September, at the British Showjumping at Prestige Equestrian. Year 10 Zoe Przedborski won the 1.05m class and Lower Sixth Manige Deleersnyder placed second in the 1.10m class. 

On 12 October, at the Unaffiliated Showjumping at Kings Sedgemoor Equestrian Centre, Upper Sixth Amber Chana was second in the 0.90m class. 

On 16 October, at the British Showjumping at Chard Equestrian, Lower Sixth Manige Deleersnyder placed third in the 1.05m class. 

A number of riders travelled to Addington Equestrian Centre in half term to compete in the National Schools Show Jumping Championships. The teams had qualified at regional competitions over the past year. Year 11 Mariella Frost, Agatha Stamper, Bella Steer Love, Alice De Riols De Fonclare, Max Bonney, Year 10 Elsa Weaver, Alexia Favre and Jack Guppy made up the teams which competed in the 80, 90 and 1 metre classes, picking up an impressive fourth place in the 90cm Championship out of over 40 schools from across the country. 

Lower Sixth Amber Moxon travelled to Oasby on 19 October to compete in the Open Novice U18 class at the Oasby British Eventing Horse Trials resulting in a superb sixth place with a double clear. 

In Football, Millfield teams have been involved in 74 fixtures in regional and national leagues as well as county and national cup competitions so far this term. 

The Senior Boys, in partnership with Street FC, reach the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup narrowly losing to Eastleigh FC 2-1. In the Independent Schools League, Millfield’s First XI eased to a 5-1 win v Repton. 

The Senior Girls squad have had mixed fortunes in the ESFA Super Cup with one win and one defeat so far in the competition. In addition, the squad supported the 'Growing Happiness' project by spending an afternoon clearing and tidying the garden areas ready for residents to start planting in the future. 

In representative news, nine senior boys and three senior girls are through to the next round of selection for the ISFA National Teams, while Year 11 Khabul Baatar was selected to represent Mongolia U17's in the Asian Cup competition recently held in Qatar. Khabul played in all three games for his country against Qatar, Nepal and Japan. 

The Millfield School Invitational Football Tournament was held over the half term break with eight teams competing for the Tyrone Mings Trophy. U15 academy sides from Bristol City, Exeter City, Fulham and Wolves were join by Millfield U15/U16 team, the Tyrone Mings Academy, East Cornwall Schools and the Wales U15 team. It was a fantastic event developed by Mr Mawford over the past six months and supported by OM Tom Shorey from Eco Sports Tours, and provided our students with an opportunity to compete against some of the UK’s leading academy sides. Fulham FC were eventual winners beating Bristol City 2-1 in the final. 

In Golf, at the Swifts National Foursomes U15 match vs Sherborne at Yeovil, Millfield won 2-0. The team of Year 9 Zane Bignell and Tate Sinfield-Day won, finishing five up, while Year 10 Seva Johal and Year 9 Sophia Nesbitt won, finishing nine up. 

Year 11 Ffion Lockley was selected for the Aspire Squad Wales Girls U18. 

Year 9 Zane Bignell was selected to attend the South West England squad trials. 

Lower Sixth Abbie Moore was selected to attend the South West England Girls U18 trials. 

Year 9 Zane Bignell won the annual golf championships at Burnham with a very good score of 74 (+3). Year 11 Toby Morris was runner-up and Junior Champion with a gross 75. The Girls Champion was Lower Sixth Abbie Moore with gross 78. Year 10 Oli Hopkins was Nett winner with 63. 

Year 10 Oli Hopkins won the Keith Nokes Scratch Cup 2024. 

Year 9 Tate Sinfield-Day won the Peter Green Trophy for leading the Order of Merit Somerset Junior competition and for being voted Players’ Player for the second successive year. 

Year 9 Jack Isaacs finished joint first in the nett with 54 whilst representing Burnham Junior in the South West Regional Finals at Royal North Devon. He returned the second next gross on the day. 

Millfield teams have been competing in Swift National Foursomes U18 matches. Against Sherborne at Enmore, the Millfield teams of Upper Sixth William Welsh and James Clemens won 9/7; Lower Sixth Abbie Moore and Year 11 Joss Monachello won 7/6 and Lower Sixth Wills House and Year 10 Jack McMeekin won 3/2. In the match vs Clifton College away at Long Ashton, Millfield won 3-0. Upper Sixth William Welsh and James Clemens won 3/2, Lower Sixth Abbie Moore and Year 11 Joss Monachello won 5/4 and Lower Sixth Wills House L6 and Year 10 Jack McMeekin won 5/4. 

In Hockey, Upper Sixth Jasmine Porter attended an England Camp.  

OM Monica Watkins was selected for the England U21 training squad for the 2025 U21 World Cup.   

The Girls First XI have made it two from two in the England Hockey Tier 1 League after their game v King’s High Warwick. They are also through to the Last 16 of the Independent Schools Hockey Cup after their away fixture vs Portsmouth Grammar School.   

The Boys First XI won their first England Hockey Tier 1 league game vs Warwick, 2-1.   

The Girls U15A are through to the Independent Schools Hockey Cup Round 3 after their game v Blundell’s.   

The Boys U16, Girls U16 and Girls U18 teams are all through to the Regional Finals being played in November after topping their respective Regional Prelim groups. 

In Netball, the Senior First Team, U16A Team and U14A Team are all through to the third round of the Sisters in Sport cup competition with the Senior Second Team through to the third round of the Sisters in Sport Shield competition. 

The U16s and U14s both finished runners up at the Somerset County Netball tournament, therefore both progressing to regionals in February.  

Outside of school: many players have been selected into Netball Performance Pathways. Year 9 Scarlett Miller, Mimi Miller and Zodwa Khoza were all selected for the Somerset County Development squad with Muna Ikazoboh being selected for the Somerset County Academy squad. The following athletes successfully made it into Team Bath ADC: Year 11 Joely Chamberlain, Year 10 Tabitha Olivier, Ferne Pike, Year 9 Ava Whitton and Ava O’Neill. Lower Sixth student Eva Doubler was selected for Team Bath Junior PDP. The following athletes were selected for the Team Bath Senior PDP: Upper Sixth Louisa Davidson, Eliza Goodwyn, Matilda Moore, Lower Sixth Olivia Doherty and Freya Artell. Lastly, Isabella Lofthouse was selected for Team Bath Under 19s NPL squad. 

In Rugby, the First XV won the plate at the St Joseph’s College National Festival on the first weekend of half term. They picked up wins against Berkhamsted School, Seaford College, St Joseph’s College and Hampton. Unfortunately, they lost narrowly against St Michael’s College Ireland and in the quarter final against Wellington College. It was great to have so much support up in Ipswich, which was hugely appreciated by players and staff. 

The Millfield Girls Rugby programme have formed a partnership with Winscombe RFC, to allow our Rugby players to have more competitive fixtures during the season and regular training. 

The 1st XV hosted Dilworth School from Auckland, New Zealand for a Rugby game on the 28 September, with Millfield winning 58-14.

Millfield hosted an U16s festival over the weekend of October 19-20. The teams that took part were Millfield, Northampton School for Boys, Clifton College and Terenure, a touring college side from Dublin. It was a very competitive tournament concluding with Northampton School for Boys winning the festival on points difference in the league table. Year 11 Olly Godden was voted U16 Player of the Tournament. 

In Ski Racing, the Millfield Ski Team placed first in the mixed National Schools Indoor Championships South, with the team including Upper Sixth Rufus Lawley, Year 10 Alex Kim and Year 9 Amelia Midgely. 

In Squash, Upper Sixth Olivia Owens came sixth in the 2024 British Open.

In Swimming, Multiple Millfield athletes and coaches represented Somerset at the Inter County National Championships in Sheffield on 6 October. The team, comprised of 17 Millfield swimmers, fought to a strong seventh place finish with some notable victories, team spirit and personal best times swum along the way. Coaches Rachel Aldington and Rob Hall joined Year 11 Asta Maddox, Year 9 Charlie Phipps, Upper Sixth Charlotte Hardy, Year 10 Colton Dorffeld, Year 10 Ella Humphries, Year 10 Emily Hughes, Lower Sixth Ethan Stubbs-Green, Year 11 Ffion Elsby-Adams, Year 11 Jose Rodriguez, Upper Sixth Lauchlan Parrot, Lower Sixth Meghan Higgs, Year 9 Sunny Zhou, Year 10 Nell Carter, Year 11 Ollie Murray, Lower Sixth Sophie Davies, Upper Sixth Toby Godsell and Year 11 Wilfred Leigh at the event for Somerset. Other counties were also represented by Millfield students Lower Sixth Edward Bell and Lower Sixth Filip Nowacki. 

On 12 October, Millfield's Swim A team competed in the National League Premier Division Round One at Newport, delivering an outstanding performance with 39 race victories and securing a commanding first-place finish. The team showcased exceptional team spirit and upheld the school's values throughout the event. Meanwhile, the Millfield B team made history by competing in Division 1 at Weston Super Mare, marking the first time the school has entered two teams in the National League. In a thrilling contest, Millfield B edged out the City of Newport by just two points, finishing as competition winners and an impressive 67 points ahead of the other six teams. The B team achieved 35 top-three finishes and, like the A team, demonstrated impeccable school standards throughout the meet. 

Upper Sixth Toby Godsell and Lower Sixth Filip Nowacki have been selected to attend the GB Aquatics Performance Potential Camp in Loughborough at the National Training Centre from 20-26 October. They will train alongside other highly capable selected athletes and integrate with Olympic finalists such as Max Litchfield, Freya Colbert and Abbie Wood. 

Upper Sixth Ewan Pedersen has received his first international call up to represent Norway at the Nordic Youth Swimming Championships in late November. 

Upper Sixth Emily Johnson improved her own Female Short Course School Record by two seconds in the Female 1500m Freestyle over the half-term at the C&W and Millfield October International Open. 

In Tennis, Lower Sixth Rafe Samuel was runner up in singles and doubles of ITF J30 Singles and Doubles events, and was semi finalist of the ITF J60 event the week later. He is now ranked 800 in the world for U18. 

Millfield teams had incredible success at the National Schools Padel Championships at Rocket Padel in Bristol, the first-ever nationwide schools tournament for Padel. 

The Mixed Team of Upper Sixth Charli Beeson, Stella Grech, George Howard and Conor Evans were National Schools Champions in the mixed category. The Boys’ Team Upper Sixth Conor Evans, Upper Sixth George Howard, Year 10 Theo Haechl and Thomas Keeler came runners-up, losing narrowly in a shootout. Millfield and Caterham fielded a Girls' Team together as they were short of girls; they won all their matches but couldn’t become champions as it was a team from two schools. 
 
In the PWR DUPR Masters 700, New Delhi, the first leg the PWR DUPR Indian Tour and League was conducted from 24-27 October 2024. Year 10 Zahaan Udai Singh participated in the 19+ Open Intermediate category and placed 3rd and secured a bronze medal.  Zahaan and his team also competed for the prestigious DUPR 16 team event and their team punched well above their weight and won the overall championship despite competing against much older and more experienced opposition. This victory will give the team an opportunity to qualify for the year end championship to be held in the US. 
 
In Water Polo, a strong opening season ESSA Water Polo qualifying match on 26 September, Millfield School took on Marlborough College in what turned out to be a thrilling comeback performance. Despite a shaky start going down 8-4 after two quarters, Millfield showed tremendous resolve, securing a remarkable victory after an outstanding second-half display. Of Millfield’s 13 players, eight had never played a competitive match before.