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14 SPORT
The Inter-Year Doubles Championships
Miss Amanda Wainwright, Head of Tennis
In June 2017 history repeated
itself at West Grove as Abby
McKinley and Harriet Wood, and
David Nana and Oliver Mynott
were crowned Inter-Year Doubles
Champions for the second year
in a row. West Grove played host
to some wonderful competitive
tennis throughout the summer
term and these Inter-Year Doubles
events really showcase Bancroft’s
incredible tennis.
We had thirty nine pairs from the Prep 2s
all the way up to the L6th participating and
it was lovely to see matches being played in
such good spirit with the younger and less
experienced players being well looked after by
the older years both on and off court. Many
team players took part but it was encouraging
to see so many of those who had been coming
along to the beginner club sessions having the
confidence to enter the tournament.
Eden Risby and Emilia Parsons (U4th) deserve
a special mention, as they made it to the girls’
final for the third year in a row and their fun-
loving approach to the game sets a wonderful
example to others; they may have lost 4-1 to
Abby and Harriet but from the way they were
smiling you would not have known that!
The boys’ final was the most nail-biting
one I have watched. Nikhil Sharma and
Gian Lakhan (U4th) had two Championship
points when they were 3-1 up but David and
Oliver clawed their way back to 3-3 to take
it to a deciding tie-break, which they won
7-3. The standard of tennis in this final was
exceptional and the younger pupils who were
watching were certainly, and rightly, in awe
of all four finalists.
I hope that everyone keeps playing over the
course of the year, and if anyone would like
further information on local tennis clubs
and courses do get in touch with me. Once
again, I would like to thank Mr Mike Wood
of “Freedom” for sponsoring the medals and
prizes and I look forward to working with him
again next summer.
Rugby: Essex Developing
Player Programme
Following their involvement
in the Essex Developing Player
Programme (DPP) assessments,
Nathan and Max (L4) have been
invited into the 2018/19 U14s’
DPP programme which is run in
association with Saracen’s RFC.
Around two hundred boys attended the
trials and this number was whittled down
to forty successful young players from
across Essex. The programme is intended
to identify talented young players and
help them develop, focussing on long
term development rather than short term
performance. The training sessions with
Saracens’ coaches aim to challenge the
boys’ work rate and encourage them to
reach their full potential both as players
and as individuals. The Saracens’ region
incorporates Hertfordshire, Kent and Essex
where the DPP programme in each county
provides the entry point into the Saracens’
Academy pathway. The aim of the Saracens’
DPP is “To provide a first opportunity
to identify those players with greatest
potential to enter the pathway towards the
professional game and England.”
Rob Faiers, our Head of Rugby, said that
this is a “huge opportunity for the boys to
develop as individuals and also to develop
skills which they can bring back to School
and pass on to their peers. As part of
the programme they will receive insights
into the most up-to-date coaching and
philosophy from Saracens’ coaches, which
will complement what they already receive
at School.”
As well as representing Bancroft’s, both
boys play rugby for Woodford RFC and last
season their team won the U13 Essex Cup.
Nathan is looking forward to taking part
in the training sessions, “I’m really excited
about the challenges coming my way after
being put forward by Bancroft’s and getting
through to the next stage of the DPP.”