Cross Country
The Longford Relays
First contested in 2013, using a different format, The Longford Relays were last won by Clive (now Owen) in 2018. Reintroduced this year, a new format involved 26 students per house running a lap of the Longford field with all their times added up. The result came down to a matter of 39 seconds.
Albie McGovern and Seb Nash ran the fastest times in Year 7 for Darwin. Ed Jones ran the fastest time in Year 8 for Owen. In year 9, Jonathan Yang ran a very quick 4:49 for Talbot, while in Year 10, Seb Owen ran 5:12 for Sa’adu. In the senior race, both Dylan Williams-Yang and Arthur Pugh ran under 5 minutes to win the senior competition for Sa’adu.
However, with an overall time of 156 minutes and 7 seconds, Sa’adu finished 2nd and with 155 minutes and 28 seconds, Talbot House won.
Football
Our 1st and 2nd Senior Football teams have made a positive and competitive start to the season, performing strongly in the ESFA competitions and the U19 league. Across the two squads, more than 15 fixtures have already been played. Competition for places has been high, with over 45 boys involved in some capacity. This year, we have really benefitted from the school’s new gym facility, enabling dedicated strength and conditioning sessions for all footballers. In addition, for the first time, we have been able to secure training access at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre, allowing us to continue high-quality sessions throughout the darker evenings.
Hockey
1st XI
The team enjoyed a strong and exciting start to the season, supported by the welcome addition of ON Ash Williams - Newport Men’s 1st XI captain and an experienced hockey coach. They opened with a narrow 3-2 loss away at NULS before earning a great win against the Harper Adams Women’s 1st team. A 4-3 defeat in Solihull followed, though the performance showed real potential and impressive resilience. Momentum continued to build with a well-deserved 5-2 victory over QMGS, followed by an emphatic 8-2 win against NSCG. Missing key players for the always challenging trip to Sandbach, the team produced the standout performance of the season, fighting back from being several goals down to secure a remarkable 6-5 win. They closed out the term with a dominant display against Bishop Vesey and now look to carry this positive trajectory into 2026 as they prepare for the U18 Midlands Qualifier tournament.
2nd XI
The team took a little more time to find their rhythm, as the Year 11s and Sixth Form combined at this level for the first time. They opened with a 3-0 loss to NULS, followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat to WGS, before producing a well-earned 3-2 victory over QMGS that showcased growing connections and far more confident passages of play. A solid 1-1 draw against OSH continued the upward momentum, and strong attendance at training has reflected the squad’s commitment to improving. Despite a tough away loss to KES in the last match of the term, the team now look well placed to regroup and push for a strong performance after Christmas.
Under 14
The team have made excellent progress, given the Adams hockey journey begins in Year 9. They impressed from the outset with a confident 2-2 draw away at KES Birmingham in their first school match, followed by a tough loss to a well-drilled and experienced QMGS side. The squad bounced back superbly to record a dominant 6-1 win over WGS before facing a challenging trip to Sandbach, where they were beaten by several goals. However, they finished the term on a high at a 7-a-side tournament, drawing their opener against SJT and then securing three excellent wins over Thomas Telford, William Brookes and Bridgnorth.
Netball
Senior
The senior netball teams have shown an impressive commitment throughout the term to school fixtures and the Lilleshall League. Often having to compete with players out of position, we have secured some memorable wins and learned from the tougher losses. Despite these challenges, the quality of play has continued to grow, with players demonstrating adaptability, resilience, and strong team spirit. This was especially evident during our Christmas tournament, where we secured third place, and again at the county tournament, where we put up a fantastic fight against strong opposition. It’s been a fantastic term of development, with every player showing noticeable growth in confidence, skill, and teamwork. The progress we’ve made together has set a strong foundation, and with the teams now more familiar with one another we’re excited to see what next term will bring. by Sissy Plant, School Netball Captain
Year 8 A Team
At the start of the season, we lost to St Joeseph’s but bounced back well to beat Abraham Darby in our next fixture. We made brilliant memories, and we have all tried our absolute best in our after-school training with the Year 7s and the Sixth Form which has paid off. We have won 5 games and secured 2nd place in the Telford and Wrekin Winter League Plate drawing 2-2 with the winners but narrowly losing by one goal in goals scored across the tournament. This has boosted our team spirit and overall confidence. I am proud of how far we have all come and we can’t wait to carry on next term and beyond. by Holly Jennings
Year 8 B Team
We do not always win in matches, but it is always enjoyable and a wonderful team building opportunity. In tournaments we have shown real growth and played well with our improvement paying off on Thursday 11th December, when we won two matches out of three. The feeling of two well-earned victories was incredible. Our team spirit is fantastic, and we work so well together. by Imogen Smith
Year 7
A busy and highly developmental first term, showing significant progress as the season has unfolded. Their opening fixtures proved challenging, with losses for both teams against Old Swinford Hospital and King Edwards. While early results were tough, these matches provided valuable experience against strong opposition. Momentum began to shift with a confident performance against St Joseph’s College, where the A team secured a well-earned victory and the B team also delivered a positive result, demonstrating growing confidence and cohesion across the squad.
This upward trajectory continued into the Year 7 tournament, where the A team produced an outstanding series of performances. Victories against Charlton, Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby, Madeley, Ercall Wood and New Road, and a hard-fought draw with HLC, saw the team crowned overall tournament winners — a fantastic achievement and a clear reflection of their rapid development. Further success followed in fixtures against Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby. The team then took part in a friendly warm-up tournament, where the A team won two of their three matches. Overall, the Year 7 netball team should be extremely proud of the progress they have made and are well placed to continue building confidence and skill as the season continues.
Rugby
1st XV
The team are enjoying a fabulous season. The strength in depth of the squad is excellent, and they have produced some outstanding displays and racked up an impressive number of scores. One of these was in the 4th round of the national Daily Mail Cup where we put in a very good display against a traditionally strong outfit - King’s School, Grantham. Alasdair Fleming is leading the boys well and there is a great camaraderie and team spirit within the group. If we can overcome our availability issues on Saturday fixtures and adapt to the demands of 7s season, then this group look set to complete an extremely successful season indeed.
2nd XV
The team have had a challenging start to the season. Defeats to Ellsemere College and KES Five Ways in the first couple of games knocked their confidence. However, the players have shown resilience and continued to train hard during games afternoon. A few of our U16’s players have stepped up into the 2nds and are making great progress. Their hard work paid off with a 12-0 win against King Edward Camp Hill recently.
U15 XV
A challenging first term of rugby with some good wins and some tough losses. There has been lots to learn from coming up short against OSH and Sandbach, who were both very strong and showed what we need to be striving for. On a more positive note, we had a good run in the National Cup competition, with big wins against Queen Elizabeth Grammar and St Joseph’s before disappointingly losing out to NULS. Overall, the team are making good progress and are looking forward to this continuing in the second half of the season in 2026.
U14 XV
A good season, winning 7 out of 9 matches. Beating local rivals Abraham Darby 46-21, OSH 23-21 and Wrekin College 37-12 have been the highlights. Players stepped up from the B team last year to make the squad stronger. This has helped the team as we have had some key players out in the past couple of matches.
U13 XV
The team have turned a corner in their season - after being on the receiving end of some narrow loses to Ellesmere and Abraham Darby, they have since attained impressive wins against NULS 25-20, Sandbach 50-15 and Fairfax 40-5. Strong runners, impressive rucking and creative attacking plays have been accompanied by a great display of resilience and teamwork.
