Cheam Fields win the National Schools Championship trophy
The finals of the inaugural National Schools Championship took place on Saturday (12 May) at the iconic Copper Box Arena within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Eight schools from across the country had qualified for the National Schools Championships finals, part of England Korfball’s ‘Grand Finals’
The National Schools Championship was sponsored by Legal & General.
Craig Gosling, England Korfball, said: “Our vision is to inspire hundreds of children and teachers and help them discover the benefits of our sport. The National Schools Championships will create a network with the skills and experience throughout the country to continue to teach Korfball to thousands of new children creating a long-term legacy.”
After a number of fantastic matches and loads of goals it was Cheam Fields Primary School from Sutton, Surrey who lifted the National schools trophy.
- Cheam Fields Primary School (Sutton, Surrey)
- Bradwell Village School (Milton Keynes)
- Balgowan Primary School (Beckenham, Kent)
- Hayes Primary School (Bromley, Kent)
- St Peter’s Primary School (South Croydon, London) – Shield Winner
- St Matthew’s Primary School (Cambridge)
- Delce Academy (Rochester, Kent)
- Moorside Primary School (Lancaster)
Congratulations also to Jess from Bradwell Village School on being voted as the tournament Most Valuable Player – One to watch for the future for sure!
It was really exciting to meet the children
Dame Helena Morrissey, Head of Personal Investing at Legal & General Investment Management who watched a number of matches said: “it was really exciting to meet the children, and they were so excited to be here”
“It’s a wonderful experience to be playing alongside each other, boys and girls. The workplace inequality that we have at present isn’t going to be solved by us separating out the women and the men, but it’s about learning just how to work together and Korfball is just a fantastic motif for our times”
Nomads Korfball Club, who hosted the qualification tournament that Cheam Fields qualified through also provided coaches from their National league squads said: “We are super-proud of the children as they attended extra training sessions to prepare for these finals and they did not let the occasion stop them from showing what they are capable of. They also responded to starting lineups and substitutes with a really great attitude.”
Andrew Barnes said: “It was such a fantastic experience for our players. It’s experiences like this which really help convince children that they want to stick at a sport and will, I’m sure, be really helpful in promoting and developing the sport up here. Well done to everyone involved!”
If your school would like to get into Korfball, please contact Hannah our National Development Officer.
