Round-Up of Sport | Charterhouse School

Hockey

The start of the Long Quarter (Spring Term) hockey season has been incredibly challenging due to extremely cold and wet conditions. It has, however, been fantastic to see the perseverance and resilience of all Carthusians involved, with everyone turning up to each session keen to learn and train hard, regardless of the weather.

The first weekend of fixtures against Cranleigh was unfortunately called off due to frozen pitches, which was a real shame, as it is always a competitive block against our local rivals.

Week two of Long Quarter saw the 1st XI compete in Round 1 of the National T2 Cup, with the squad looking to replicate, and hopefully go one step further than, last year’s success. They began in impressive fashion with an excellent 6–3 win over Lord Wandsworth College, showcasing outstanding hockey. The second weekend of Long Quarter also saw all 14 teams in action against a highly competitive Eton side, who unfortunately had the upper hand in the majority of fixtures. There were, however, several notable performances. The 1st XI secured a thrilling 7–5 victory in a 12-goal contest, featuring some superb team goals, while the 14B team recorded an excellent 2–0 win in their first outing in the navy and pink of Charterhouse hockey.

We now look ahead to the 15A team in cup action this week against RGS Guildford, alongside several mid-week fixtures against KES Witley and Bedales.

Netball

It has been a wet and cold start to the season, with the English weather unfortunately getting the better of pre-season. Sub-zero temperatures and frozen courts meant it was a non-starter, and the first week of Quarter (term) saw trials taking place in pouring rain. Conditions since then have not improved significantly.

With matches against Lord Wandsworth College cancelled, this provided an ideal opportunity to begin the Fourth Form Inter-House netball, alongside the Removes’ House netball. Despite the cold conditions, the sun made an appearance and there were plenty of smiles. The opening round featured two highly competitive matches, with each house set to play at least four more fixtures before an overall winner is decided.

The U14s were involved in a nail-biting, goal-for-goal quarter-final cup match against Ibstock Place in the Sisters in Sport competition, narrowly missing out by a single goal. The standard of netball on display was outstanding, and the girls should be extremely proud, particularly as this is a very new team. There is much to take forward as they prepare to face Bradfield this weekend.

The block fixture against Bradfield College proved a positive start to the season, with many teams involved in closely contested matches. The U14s enjoyed an excellent block, winning all of their fixtures, with both the U14A and B sides dominating their games. The U15s were also involved in tight encounters, with the U15A side losing by just four goals in a match that could have gone either way. The U15B team secured a win, while the U15D team recorded a thrilling 12–12 draw.

The senior matches were competitive, although the final scores did not fully reflect the quality of play. Bradfield had already played a match this term, and a lack of match practice showed at times, with the poor weather impacting ball delivery. The 1st and 2nd teams demonstrated real promise and should take plenty of positives from their performances, although there are lessons to be learnt and basics to refine. The 3rd and 4th teams won their matches and should be proud of their efforts, while the 6th to 8th teams were outskilled on the day. These fixtures will serve as valuable learning opportunities, and movement between teams is expected.

Overall, it has been a solid start to the netball season, and we hope for improved weather conditions so that full training can properly begin.