Senior School Co-Curricular Sports

Rugby is the core boys’ sport during the Michaelmas Term, with the College consistently fielding multiple teams in each age group from U12 to U18. Supported by outstanding facilities and high-quality coaching, pupils thrive within our dynamic rugby environment. Whether arriving with extensive experience or discovering the game for the first time, all students are encouraged to challenge themselves through games afternoons, after-school training, and a full programme of competitive fixtures. For younger pupils in the Lower School, this provision also includes non-contact versions of the game.

During the October half term, the College hosts the prestigious Eltham Festival, welcoming leading 1st XV sides from across the country. Established in 2021, the one-day festival has quickly become a highlight of the school’s rugby calendar, providing an elite platform for some of the strongest school teams in the country to compete.

In recent years, numerous Eltham College players have progressed into the Harlequins and Saracens Development Pathways, as well as representing Kent from U14 level upwards, underlining the strength and depth of our rugby programme. Player welfare remains a central priority, with the College actively supporting the RFU’s Schools Rugby Injury Surveillance and Prevention Programme and the RFU Headcase initiative, promoting concussion awareness and best practice in player safety.

Within the Junior School, Eltham College is proud to serve as a centre for the Quilter Kids First scheme, ensuring enhanced coach development and the delivery of high-quality, age-appropriate rugby provision. All boys are given the opportunity to represent the school in fixtures throughout the Michaelmas Term.

During the Lent Term, attention turns to the fast-paced 7-a-side format. Teams compete in prestigious competitions, including the Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens and a range of Kent tournaments and Eltham Festivals, offering players valuable opportunities to perform and develop at a high level.

Ben King (Head of Rugby)

Hockey is a core sport for both boys (Michaelmas) and girls (Lent), with all students having access to co-curricular sessions across a minimum of two terms, maximising developmental opportunities. Consequently, hockey is an important part of the Eltham sporting culture.

Our excellent facilities, including two state-of-the-art hockey pitches, mean that the school can offer superb provision for both boys’ and girls’ hockey simultaneously across both the Senior and Junior schools. This is supported by very experienced and highly qualified coaches who can cater for pupils of all abilities and have a proven track record of developing players, regardless of their prior hockey experience.

We are proud to field multiple teams at each age group for both boys and girls as part of our weekly block fixture programme and create competitive playing opportunities for all involved in the hockey programme. In recognition of the quality of our performance teams, the school will consistently enter the most challenging national competitions and aspires to be a Tier 1 school across all age groups for boys and girls. Our performance squads have consistently enjoyed county and regional success, showcasing the calibre and depth of players in the programme.

Eltham College provides an excellent base for aspirational hockey players wishing to challenge themselves. This is illustrated by the number of students playing representative hockey. The school has helped develop and support current senior and junior internationals in both the boys’ and girls’ programmes and has a large number of students involved in Talent Academies and county representation. These students will have access to advanced small-group sessions, indoor hockey, video analysis, strength and conditioning support, sports psychology and regular mentoring to support their development.

Our Hockey Professional, Jules Halls, is an FIH High-Performance hockey coach and mentor, and is involved in delivering the Top Coaching Programme (TCP). This initiative supports some of the best European hockey coaches who aspire to work at the elite level of the game. Jules’ wealth of knowledge and experience at the highest levels of hockey provides invaluable insight to both his international peers and the students he coaches at Eltham. In addition, the department has multiple staff who continue to play and coach in National League, ensuring that our pupils have access to the most up-to-date technical and tactical developments in the game.

Hockey players at Eltham will have the opportunity to go on tour on multiple occasions, with lower-school players travelling to the Midlands and Year 10–13 touring the Netherlands. These tours are fantastic occasions and a celebration of the love of hockey at Eltham across the breadth of our teams.

Jamie Batten (Head of Hockey)

As the primary summer sport for both boys and girls, our cricket programme is continually developing, showcased by being named as one of The Cricketer’s Top 100 Cricket Schools in the country in 2026. There is an established fixture list for the boys’ programme, including competing in National and County Cups at various age groups. Our girls’ programme is progressing quickly since its introduction in 2020-21. All A & B teams play a competitive hardball fixture list, alongside competing in National and County Cup competitions.

Performance sessions are led by our Cricket Professional and former Pakistan International Cricketer, Yasir Arafat. Additional sessions for our 25+ Representative Cricketers are provided at lunchtimes and after-school to ensure they are challenged and allowed to develop further. While initial opportunities to develop skills and techniques are afforded in games sessions using softball to students with limited experience. Expert coaches from GRIT Sport provide additional support to the Junior and Lower School to ensure fast progression.

Eltham has some of the most extensive and high-quality cricketing facilities to offer in London. With seven grass squares, supported by astro wickets, grass nets, and ample field space all on-site, there is opportunity afforded to all. Our sport hall affords winter preparations for all students, including our Cricket Academy boys and girls, who are able to train all year round.

Josh Kelly (Head of Cricket)

Netball is the core sport for girls at Eltham College during the Lent Term and plays a central role in our sporting provision. We currently field an impressive 27 Netball teams, with students representing the school from Year 7 through to Year 13. This breadth ensures that every girl has the opportunity to play competitively and proudly represent Eltham College, regardless of previous experience.

Since officially becoming a fully co-educational school in September 2025, our Netball programme has continued to grow and flourish, both in participation and performance. A recent and exciting partnership with reigning Super League Champions, London Pulse, further enhances our provision, supporting the development of aspiring elite athletes while maintaining an inclusive programme that encourages enjoyment and lifelong participation.

During the Netball season, students benefit from three weekly points of contact: two structured training sessions and a competitive fixture. Our extensive and carefully planned fixture list ensures meaningful competition for all teams and abilities. In addition, Eltham College regularly competes in the Kent Schools and Sisters n Sport National Cup competitions across all age groups. Recent success includes our U14A team being crowned 2025 Kent Champions and progressing to the Regional Schools Finals.

We are proud of the number of past and present Eltham College students who have progressed through International and Super League pathways, as well as those selected for U13 and U15 Kent County Academies. With 23 students currently involved across these programmes, this success reflects the strength, depth, and ambition of our Netball pathway and highlights the impact of our experienced, high-quality coaches and outstanding facilities.

Laura True (Head of Netball)

At Eltham College, Swimming and Water Polo form a key part of our Aquatic Programme. Our popular morning swim sessions are open to pupils across all year groups and are led by experienced, highly qualified coaches. These sessions are designed to support individual development, enabling swimmers to refine their technique and maximise their potential.

We compete in a wide range of fixtures and competitions throughout the year, including friendly galas, Kent Schools, English Schools, ESSA Super League and London League events, as well as the prestigious Bath & Otter Cup held each March at the Olympic Aquatics Centre.

Our Water Polo programme is equally well established, with teams competing in both English Schools and London League tournaments. Recently, we ventured on a successful Water Polo tour to Barcelona, providing pupils with the opportunity to challenge themselves, gain valuable experience, and develop both in and out of the pool.

We are committed to supporting all students within our aquatic sports, from those developing their skills to those competing at the highest levels, including swimmers on the Swim England and Great Britain Talent Pathways.

Sean Perfect (Head of Aquatics) & Temba Bungane (Head of Water Polo)

The Ski Race Team train at Chatham Snowsports Centre on a Monday evening (5.30pm until 7.00pm) aiming for a session every other week across all three terms. The Ski Team is led by Emily Evans, Head Coach of Precise Racing for over 8 years and continues to grow in participation and success. Her individual skiing highlights include competing at the World Children’s Champs and the Children’s Olympics on three separate occasions. Having entered FIS, Emily joined the English Alpine ski team and proved herself again. The hard work paid off, next year she was selected into the British Junior Team and raced at the European Youth Olympics in Liberec 2011. After a successful racing career, Emily chose to coach young skiers and develop them into keen racers. Emily currently holds BASI Level 3 ISIA instructing qualification, Level 3 IVSI coaching qualification, Snowboarding Level 1, Level 3 Mountain safety award and a SSE Level 4 Officials badge.

The Ski Team enter the following annual events:

• Kent Schools
• ESSKIA Indoor Race at Castleford
• London Schools
• ESSKIA qualifiers at Chatham
• ESSKIA English Finals at Swadlincote
• British School Boys at Wengen

Minimum requirements to start attending we ask pupils can control the speed from top to bottom and use the lift independently. To attend the training sessions and work towards the Ski Race Team we ask pupils contact Miss Brittany Holmes and sign up via SOCS.

Emily Evans (Head Coach of the Ski Racing Team)

Fencing is a mentally and physically stimulating sport. To do fencing you need more than just physical movement, you need to use your brain for building strategies to attack or defence. Participating in fencing from an early age will help improve balance and posture. Pupils will need to work hard on their concentration and reflexes as these are key skills in fencing. In fencing the pupils will learn the importance of safety when practicing with metal foils. We always combine fun with building up new skills, and we use games related to fencing moves or strategies.

We offer classes for beginners, intermediary and we have one session for competing level.

Silviu Florescu-Serban (Head Coach of Fencing Team)

Our athletics programme will be taking on a new impetus for the Summer of 2023. Students will be selected on ability and suitability for events. Any student wishing to be selected for events should attend the relevant lunch time sessions on the Athletics track. Students that compete regularly outside of school in Athletics clubs should make themselves known to Mr Thorogood and attend training to ensure we select the right students for these competitive events.

Competitions both boys and girls teams will be entered into include Cambridge Cup, ESSA Track & Field Cup, Greenwich Schools, London Schools and LSAA Combined Events Championships.

Edd Thorogood (Head of HPAP and i/c Athletics)

Tennis plays a significant role within the College’s sporting provision, with multiple teams fielded across all age groups from U12 to U18. Supported by excellent facilities and a forward-thinking coaching programme, pupils are given the opportunity to develop their game in a competitive yet inclusive environment. Whether joining the programme as experienced competitors or picking up a racket for the first time, all students are encouraged to challenge themselves and grow through a combination of fixtures, structured training and co-curricular provision.

The College competes annually at the prestigious Independent Schools Tennis Championships at Eton College, where Eltham teams consistently perform at a high level. Alongside this national competition, Eltham enjoys sustained success across Kent County competitions, regularly achieving high-ranked finishes and demonstrating the depth and quality of the programme across all age groups.

In recent years, several Eltham players have achieved top rankings at county level, with several competing and placing strongly on the national circuit, reflecting both individual excellence and the strength of the wider performance pathway. At the same time, the programme remains firmly committed to broad participation, with lunchtime and after-school clubs open to players of all abilities, ensuring every pupil has the opportunity to develop confidence, skill and enjoyment in the sport.

The tennis programme continues to evolve in line with best practice in player development. This year, particular emphasis is being placed on performance psychology and strength and conditioning, recognising their importance in supporting both performance and long-term development. This holistic approach ensures players are physically prepared, mentally resilient, and well equipped to succeed both on and off the court.

Matt Morrish (Head of Tennis)

The High Performance Athlete Programme (HPAP) is designed to assist our young sportsmen and sportswomen as they progress throughout the school.

EC Scholars & HPAP Programme 2023-24
‘High performance requires us to focus on our body, mind and time’