Hockey Hockey is played in both the Michaelmas (Girls) and Lent (Boys) Terms
Rendcomb College hockey promotes the individual but also holds true to the sentiment that the ‘whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ – that out of the collective ambition of the team individuals can reach even higher with their dreams.
Games similar to modern day hockey, where a ball and curved stick are used, have been traced back over 4000 years to Egypt and Greece. The greatest advances in the sport have been in the last 40 years with the introduction of synthetic pitches – the sport is now regarded as one of, if not the best, team sports as it improves speed, agility and hand-eye coordination into a dynamic entity which is accessible to all, at whatever age or ability.
Hockey at Rendcomb College has become a significant part of the College experience with the boys enjoying and developing their hockey as a result of the 12-strong enthusiastic and dedicated coaching staff headed by a Wales U18 & U19 national coach. The facilities are exceptional, with access to our own astroturf as well as one in Cirencester (15 minutes away) which enables coaching late in the day even during the depths of winter. Interval training is enabled by the fitness suite and this, combined with some SAQ work, enables the full preparation of the players during the pre-season months.
All boys are given the opportunity to represent the College as there are three senior XIs, drawing from 5th & 6th formers, which play around 10 matches a season, the 1st XI usually upwards of 15 (these involve school sides but also men’s club sides from Cheltenham, Cirencester and Marlborough). The middle and lower school years have these teams: U15A & U15B (4th formers), U14A & U14B (3rd formers), and U13A, B & C (1st & 2nd formers) – the A teams (& U13B) play between 8-10 fixtures, some of which are 7-a-side, with the other teams ranging from 2-5 fixtures. The success of the College has been borne out by many players reaching county or regional honours in recent years and the fact that so many continue with the sport at university and beyond.