Pupils come together for Herts School Games (From Watford Observer)

Success for School Sports Partnerships at Herts School Games

1:10pm Friday 6th July 2012 in Sport

More than 1200 of the county’s top athletes congregated at Hertfordshire University last Thursday for the 2012 Herts School Games.

The event saw 13 School Sports Partnerships in action across 12 different sports, with both Three Rivers and Watford and Watford and Hertsmere enjoying a successful day of medal-winning action.

Before the competition began, a lively opening ceremony welcomed the competitors, with a dance performance from Rickmansworth School while GB beach volleyball player Lucy Boulton also attended.

The Three Rivers and Watford Partnership enjoyed early success as the Rickmansworth fencing team picked up the gold medal while Daniel Bateman claimed silver in the individual event.

Rickmansworth Park hockey team finished eighth in their competition while Harvey Road and St Catherine’s were unlucky not to advance to the latter stages of the tag rugby.

In the swimming pool, Colnbrook scooped the gold medal while Breakspeare also performed well and in volleyball, St Clement Danes boys came fifth while the girls took sixth.

Little Green kwik cricket team and the Christ Church short tennis side were desperately unlucky to miss out in the bronze medal play-off while on the golf course, the Partnership was represented by Maple Cross at the mixed Under-11 competition and Francis Combe at the Under-14 event.

The Partnership squad was completed by the gymnastics team from Royal Masonic School for Girls who finished second in the Year Three to Four event. They were joined on the podium by the Under-13 girls tag rugby team from Rickmansworth School, who won the silver medal after a very close final.

Chris Hambleton from Rickmansworth School said: “This was the second Summer Herts School Games and it was a huge success, the level of performance across the sports was outstanding and congratulations must go to all of the pupils who worked so hard to get there. “To win two golds and three silver medals is a fantastic achievement”

There was joy as well for the Watford and Hertsmere School Sports Partnership as they too enjoyed a successful day.

The Partnership won the silver medal in the hockey event, and bronze in both the girls and boys volleyball competitions.

Games Manager Tony Marmo said: “We couldn’t have asked for a better day, the sporting competition was of a very high standard with all competitors taking on the ethos of fair play. “The sun shone throughout the day providing a perfect end to the year’s school games programme, which has seen every school in Hertfordshire compete in the overall programme.”