Rowing

The Summer Term has been one of the most successful in recent years for Norwich School Boat Club, with pupils competing with distinction at regional, national and international-level events while achieving several historic milestones for the club. The term began with Bedford Regatta, where 55 rowers raced in 17 crews across 14 events. For many of our J14 athletes, this was their first experience of side-by-side regatta racing, and they embraced the challenge superbly. Five crews reached the semi-finals and four progressed to finals, with the Senior Boys’ 1st Quad winning the Open Quad event. The Senior Girls’ 1st Coxed Four, the J14 Girls’ Quad and the Senior Boys’ 2nd crew also produced outstanding performances, while our coxes demonstrated excellent skill navigating Bedford’s demanding course. At the National Schools’ Regatta on the 2012 Olympic course at Dorney Lake, Norwich School enjoyed some of its strongest performances to date. The J14 Girls’ Octo finished 11th overall, while several J14 Boys Octo were 13th and the J15 boys and girls Coxed Fours were 15th and 13threpectively. The Senior Boys’ 2nd Quad finished an impressive 8th nationally, and both the Senior Boys’ 1st Quad and Senior Girls’ 1st Coxed Four reached Championship A Finals, each finishing 8th in the country—the highest Championship placing ever achieved by these crews. Success continued at Star Regatta, where 18 crews reached nine finals and secured four victories. Highlights included wins for the J14 Girls’ Double, the Senior Boys’ 1st Quad, the Senior Boys’ Double and the J17 Double, alongside several closely contested finals demonstrating the strength and depth of the squad. The Senior Girls made club history at Henley Women’s Regatta by becoming the first Norwich School sweep crew ever to qualify for the event. After an impressive victory in their opening race, they pushed the eventual National Schools’ champions, Wallingford Rowing Club, all the way in a thrilling quarter-final. At Peterborough Junior Regatta, our younger athletes also impressed, with Edward H and Tilek MQ winning silver in the J14 Double. Another landmark achievement came at Henley Royal Regatta, where the Senior Boys’ 1st Quad became the first Norwich School quad to compete at this prestigious event. Drawn against Canadian champions Ridley College, they produced one of the closest races of the regatta, losing by just one foot after an outstanding performance that earned widespread praise. Finally, congratulations go to Ellie T, James H and Nicholas C for their outstanding progress through the GB Under-19 trial process. Ellie, the first Norwich School girl to progress through the trials process, has the Race-offs on Wednesday, while James and Nicholas advanced to Final Crew Formation following exceptional performances throughout the season. These achievements reflect the commitment, resilience and teamwork shown by every member of the Boat Club. The progress made this year provides an excellent foundation for the future, and everyone involved should be immensely proud of a truly memorable season.

This year's Sports Day got off to a fantastic start with a series of section-based activities designed to encourage teamwork, resilience and mass participation. Pupils competed enthusiastically in the Mile Relay, Tug of War Championship and Hybrid Fitness Challenge, creating an exciting atmosphere from the very beginning of the day. It was incredible to see the Lower Close filled with a sea of house colours, as every team demonstrated outstanding determination, teamwork and school spirit. The smiles, laughter and encouragement shared throughout the morning perfectly captured the spirit of the event. In the afternoon, attention turned to the traditional track and field competitions, alongside a range of much-loved "Old School Sports Day" activities. The standard of competition was exceptionally high, with several long-standing school records being broken. The Senior Girls produced a series of outstanding performances: Minnie Aset a new 200m record with a time of 30.87 seconds. Kat DM broke the 400m record, finishing in 1:07.52. In a remarkable 800m race, both Bea G (2:35) and Minnie A(2:36) finished inside the previous school record. The 1500m also saw Minnie A setting a new record of 5:38, closely followed by Bea G in 5:39, with both athletes bettering the previous record. In the Inter Girls competition, Jennifer Mardle established a new shot put record with an impressive throw of 11.61m and had a discus throw of 32.20m. The Junior Girls also celebrated a record-breaking performance as Rosie Brew set a new javelin record with a throw of 26.09m. Congratulations to all of our pupils for their enthusiasm, effort and sportsmanship throughout the day. Whether competing for records, representing their house, or simply taking part, every student contributed to making Sports Day 2026 a tremendous success. A huge thank you also goes to the staff, officials and supporters whose help made the event possible. It was a fantastic day enjoyed by everyone, showcasing the talent, determination and community spirit that make our school so special.