Hartpury Netball crowned U19 Schools Champions

Hartpury Netball are National Schools Finals champions in an historic first, after winning the U19 tournament at Oundle School on Saturday 16 March 2024. Hartpury College had already been crowned U19 champions at the South West Regional Schools Finals in February, earning them the right to represent the region at the National Schools Finals.

After finishing as runners-up in 2023, Hartpury College came into the competition hoping to go one better and immediately laid down a marker of intent, winning seven and drawing one of their first stage round-robin matches in Group E while recording the highest goal average at 1.94.

The semi-finals saw two hotly contested games with Stowe School narrowly edging out Sir John Deanes by a single goal (8-9) while Hartpury College continued their fine form running out a 16-10 victory over Wellington College to set up an all-southern final.

Despite finding themselves in the same position as last year, Hartpury College were determined not to fall at the final hurdle. They showed the quality for which they have become accustomed and secured the trophy with a 10-3 win.

After a series of impressive performances, Hartpury College’s Caitlin Brand (A-levels) was awarded the Gilbert Netball U19 Player of the Tournament accolade.

Holly Duerden, Netball Academy Manager at Hartpury University and Hartpury College said: “Congratulations to this amazing team of girls who continue to impress and inspire us with their skill and determination in every match they play. It’s great to go one better than last year and add the U19 National Schools title to our growing list of incredible accolades!

“We’re so proud of the pathway we’ve created here at Hartpury University and Hartpury College that is allowing talented players to excel in the sport they love. I’d like to thank each and every one of them, as well as the support team we have here at Hartpury, for the hard work and dedication they’ve shown through the season.”

Hartpury’s Netball Academy has a now well-established programme spanning six years, providing more than 100 student athletes with a chance to play throughout their college and then university studies at Hartpury. Each student, both male and female, has the chance to train in an elite sporting environment, taking advantage of state-of-the-art facilities and leading coaches who are active at Superleague and NPL level. There are also plenty of opportunities for those interested in playing for fun and fitness without the competitive elements. WSP Solicitors continue to sponsor both the University and College 1st teams, helping them to train and compete.

The dual career pathway is a system that allows students to train and compete while they study for qualifications including A-levels, T Levels, diplomas and degrees. The pathway was praised in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023) that saw Hartpury University rated triple Gold.

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Picture: Morgan Harlow Photography