In addition to the main sports of the term, many other sports and activities are available to Reptonians, sometimes initiated by an individual pupil or group of students with a particular passion. We are keen to encourage and foster pupils’ enthusiasms for any sport.
Activities currently include: Aerobics, Athletics, Badminton, *Ballet, Basketball, Climbing, Cross Country, Dance, *Fencing, Fishing, Fives, *Golf, *Martial Arts, Multi-Gym, *Riding, Rounders, Sailing, Shooting and Softball, Swimming.
There is an additional charge for activities marked*.
Athletics
In addition to team coaching, athletics is taught to all B Block girls as part of the summer sporting programme and there are trials for the A and B Block boys who have not been selected for either cricket or tennis.
The coaching of athletics to boys and girls was recently successfully amalgamated and together they train three to four times per week. Such sessions, which focus on technique, competition, fitness and conditioning, are delivered by six specialist coaches including two guest coaches. Student athletes are encouraged to compete in School matches which are held on Saturday and occasionally on Tuesday afternoons. Repton also takes advantage of well-equipped local facilities and home matches are currently hosted at Moorways Stadium in Derby, the venue for the annual County Athletics Championships. Each year, Repton sends around twenty athletes to these Championships and many successful medal winners have emerged.
The majority of the boys and girls in the school also take part in the Kropacsy Relays and the Athletics Finals, Repton’s own inter-House competitions. These popular events are exciting for both athletes and spectators and serve to reinforce the high profile of athletics at Repton School.
Lulu Bordoli
Mistress i/c athletics
back to topˆ
Basketball
There are plenty of opportunities for both boys and girls to play basketball at Repton. There are currently two boys’ teams, one for Sixth Formers and very able juniors and one for the U16s. There are two weekly two-hour training sessions, the first hour of which is spent performing specific drills, the second playing competitive games. Matches mainly take place at weekends and the opposition takes the form of both recognised clubs and other schools. The U18 side regularly plays in the English Basketball League, organised by the English Schools’ Basketball Association. Both senior and junior inter-house competitions take place in the Michaelmas Term and girls’ inter-house matches during the Lent Term.
Basketball sessions and matches are overseen by professional coach Keith Morant. In addition to his commitment to Repton, Keith trains with and coaches the Burton Tornado Basketball Club. Friendly matches between Repton and Burton therefore take place on a regular basis.
In the past Repton pupils have had the opportunity to qualify officially as referees. Successful participants often progress to referee school and house matches.
Mark Sanderson
Master i/c basketball
back to topˆ
Cross Country
The Club meets and trains twice a week in the Michaelmas and Lent Terms with the matches being held during Lent. Runners usually meet by The Arch after lunch on Tuesday and Thursday and usually undertake and run from 2.5 to 5.5 miles, depending on age and the chosen route. Home and away matches are then run over similar distances on Saturdays. Such matches normally involve at least two or three schools and Repton fields an open age group boys’ team as well as a girls’ team.
There are two highlights in the cross country calendar. MANISCCC is the Midland and Northern Independent Schools Cross Country Championship, which is a major annual event held within the grounds of one of the participating schools and incorporates a senior boys and girls event as well as a Colts event. Repton always participates in this event and has produced some good individual performance, finishing 4th and 9th out of around 240 runners.
The Steeplechase event is the annual Repton inter-House cross country race held just before the February half term and many students and staff are required, either to run or to officiate. Team and individual trophies are awarded at senior and junior levels for both boys and girls and the Steeplechase spectacle is not to be missed, particularly the starts and “the race for the gate”!
Race distances and training distances can also count towards The Parker 100, an optional endurance event which requires a pupil to run 100 miles during the Lent Term, after which a commemorative sweatshirt can be purchased. This is open to all pupils and celebrates the life of Repton teacher and former master-in-charge of cross country, Chris Parker.
Howard Gould
Master i/c cross country
back to topˆ
Fives
History of the game: The origin of the name Fives is uncertain, but it probably refers to the fingers, as in 'a bunch of fives' and has been used since the 17th century. There are three codes of Fives: Eton, Rugby and Winchester. Eton Fives is the version that is played at Repton.
Fives is a handball game where players use padded gloves to propel a cork ball around an oddly shaped three-sided court. The shape of the current court derives from the side of the chapel at Eton College, which was supported by buttresses that formed bays in which the boys could play, and it is on this bay that the ‘modern’ Eton Fives courts are based.
Courts have been built abroad in Europe, Australia, India, Malaysia, and Argentina. The game flourishes in the northern states of Nigeria where matches are held in market places to crowds of hundreds. Players use tennis balls and so do not need gloves.
Fives at Repton: Repton’s twelve Fives courts were built in 1909 during Lionel Ford’s headmastership and are found below the Music School by the side of San Hall.
Pupils are coached the game when they enter the School and those who show promise go on to represent Repton in fixtures against other schools and clubs. We have a long and distinguished record in the game and in 1976 a Repton pair, J.D. Luddy (N) and R.J. Wood (H), were Public Schools Champions. Other pupils may wish to play a more recreational form of the game and do so by opting for Fives as part of the Sports programme. During the Lent Term, there are House competitions amongst both senior and junior boys.
Peter Bradburn
Master i/c Fives
back to topˆ
Golf
Golf is a flourishing activity at Repton with up to 20 pupils playing every Tuesday at a variety of local courses, including Horsley Lodge, Breadsall Priory, Bretby, Broughton Heath and Morley Hayes . On Thursday the group visits Branston G.C. for practice, group coaching (under the stewardship of Head Professional Iain Ross) and play on the nine-hole course. These activity sessions continue throughout the year. In addition, there are matches against the Old Reptonians, at the excellent Little Aston, and Kedleston Park, house competitions and other events. These include the ISGA School Matchplay, the HMC Foursomes and the Shire Trophy, a prestigious individual event, in which we enjoyed some success last year, finishing third in the Nett Team event with Cameron Shaw winning the individual Junior Trophy.
Russel Embery
Master i/c golf
back to topˆ
Sailing
Sailing takes place on a Tuesday as part of the afternoon sports programme, on some Wednesday afternoons within the CCF programme and as an option on CCF Field Days during the Michaelmas and Summer Terms. No sailing takes place during Lent owing to adverse weather conditions. Pupils opting for this activity gain an insight into the fundamentals of sailing and the skills required to sail a small dingy to a competent standard. Prior experience is advantageous but not essential.
The Repton Sailing School is currently undergoing a five-year plan to replace and upgrade its fleet. On offer are five Toppers, two of which are racing models, and three Laser Picos. These are kept at Swarkestone Sailing Club, an RYA approved centre and a good-sized lake approximately six miles to the north-east of the School. The Topper is an ideal boat for beginners and those pupils wishing to sail single-handed as it relies on minimum equipment and a single main sail; it can be quickly set up by an individual and results are instantaneous once sailing gets underway. The Laser Pico is better suited to those pupils with intermediate sailing skills as it utilizes both a main and small jib sail. It easily accommodates a crew of two, or it can be single-handed by a competent sailor.
The sailing programme is continually under review and our aim is to develop the best possible experience within the available resources. It is open to pupils across all age groups and it has proven to be a very rewarding experience with many returning to the sport in their lives beyond Repton. Indeed, sailing at Repton is on the verge of entering a very exciting phase and it is hoped that in time pupils may also be able to gain certification and valuable experience on both inshore and offshore waters.
Richard Fairbrother
Master i/c sailing
back to topˆ
Swimming
The facilities for swimming here at Repton School are considered excellent and we are particularly fortunate to have a superb 25m tile-lined pool with a large gallery for spectators. The training program, which is run by a professional coach, Mr Alan Hawkins, runs throughout the year. During the week the swimming squad trains during two afternoon sessions and two early morning sessions, and additional training is also available on a further three afternoons.
Summer is the main term for competitions, but the squad takes part in a number of inter-school galas and national swimming events throughout the year. In the Summer Term the squad competes at the Public School Championships – the Bath and Otter Cups. In 2008 we secured the Dunelm Cup by winning the Boys National Relay title. We also take part in the annual Burton Bridge to Bridge Swim, which commemorates the historic swim between Burton Bridge and the Ferry Bridge in the River Derwent in the early 20th century. A number of pupils take part in the prestigious Derbyshire County Finals, which are swum in the 50m pool at Ponds Forge, Sheffield.
Non-specialists are also encouraged to take advantage of the excellent facilities. Swimming is offered as a recreational activity and the pool is also used for kayaking and sub-aqua training. Every year a number of pupils also take part in a lifesaving course, involving practical and written assessments, which leads to a nationally recognised qualification. The house swimming competitions, held in May, are always fiercely fought and a tremendous occasion for the whole school, and in September we also hold the Caroline Tyler inter-house relays, inaugurated in memory of a former swimming captain.
Julia Rushton
Mistress i/c swimming
back to topˆ