Sport

Our pupils participate in a wide variety of athletics events during the summer term, using our own grass 400m running track and field throwing/jumping area at Countesswells. Our annual Sports Day is one of the highlights of the year, where Junior and Senior School pupils compete in a variety of track and field events in a bid to become the Sports Day Champion from P6-S3. We also have a House Relay competition, which is the final event of our Sports Day and the last of the academic session, contributing towards the overall House Champion.

Available to all pupils in the Senior School, co-curricular Badminton takes place weekly at RGU:SPORT for S1-S6, with more than 100 pupils attending each week. The club is run in a relaxed manner, and many enjoy finishing their week with some sociable games, while others choose to play more competitively, working their way up the rankings. Some players will go on to enter local tournaments, and many will also train with local development squads or other clubs.

Basketball is available in the Senior School for both boys and girls from S1-S6. We have recently started a dedicated Senior Girls’ Basketball team, which has been hugely successful. Basketball as an activity takes place once a week, with the Senior Team training once a week and competing in the Aberdeen City Schools League. They also compete against other schools in the surrounding area. A number of our pupils have also trained with local clubs and some have gone on to national representation.

Indoor nets begin in January in preparation for the cricket season. During the summer term, Junior and Senior teams train weekly. We have six teams (P6-1st XI) competing in the Scottish Schools Cup and Cricket Scotland festivals. In addition, they also play regular fixtures against other independent schools, The Forty Club, The University of Aberdeen, and local primary schools. Due to the length of the term, we encourage pupils to continue playing cricket and support them in accessing local provisions at Gordonians Cricket Club or other local clubs.

Pupils in Junior and Senior School have the opportunity to compete for their house and their own place in the school’s annual Cross Country Championships, which take place at Countesswells during January or February, from P4-S6. Pupils from P5-S6 also have the chance to represent the school as an individual and as part of a year group team in the Grampian Schools Cross Country Championships, which take place at Balgownie Playing Fields.

Football is one of our largest and most popular sports at Robert Gordon’s College. We offer football from P1-P3 at Schoolhill, while our P4-S6 teams train at Countesswells. We cater to both participation and performance teams. Our U15 and U18 boys represent Robert Gordon’s College in the Scottish Independent Schools Cup, where we have reached the finals on several occasions.Our S2 boys won the local Aberdeen league in 2025. We also have boys and girls who play at academies for clubs including Aberdeen FC, Dundee United, and Dundee FC. More recently, we have created two girls’ football teams who also play local friendlies.

Golf is available to a number of our pupils, mainly in the Senior School, who compete throughout the year. Robert Gordon’s College enters a variety of tournaments across the academic year, catering to various ages and golfing abilities. We participate in an over-13s tournament hosted by St Leonard’s in St Andrews. We also hold a Senior School House Golf Competition, open to all golfers with a handicap, giving them the chance to represent their House and earn much-valued House points. During the summer term, we return to St Andrews, and some Junior School pupils compete in the St Leonards Under-9, Under-11, and Under-13 Tournaments. These are open to golfers with or without a handicap, providing a great opportunity for many to participate in their first competitive match.

In Boys’ Hockey, up to three teams play or train most weekends against a variety of other schools across the country, competing in a national league at 1st XI level and entering the S3 and 1st XI Scottish Schools Cup.  Where possible, midweek local fixtures are played against local teams at Countesswells, and all players have the opportunity to represent the North District at either U14, U16, or U18 level, which can lead to national representation. 

Girls’ Hockey also trains weekly and plays competitive fixtures from P5 upwards, and the College regularly fields 12 teams. Each season, the 1st XI and U15A enter the Scottish Schools Cup, and the 1st XI, 2nd XI, S3A, and S2A enter the Coach Logic Hockey Leagues. This creates lots of competitive matches against the very best schools in the country. Pupils are encouraged to trial for the North District Squads at U14, U16, and U18 level, and this is the start of the pathway to national representation. A large number of pupils choose to play Hockey at Robert Gordon’s College, and a key aim is to effectively balance performance and participation.

There are pupils who also play for Gordonians Sports Clubs and other local clubs.

The Netball programme is open to all girls from P1-S6. P5, P6, and P7 pupils have the opportunity to compete in local tournaments and the Grampian Rose Bowl competition. Training is at Schoolhill from P4-P5, whilst the P6 and P7 teams use Aberdeen Sports Village for training and fixtures in the summer term. Additionally, Robert Gordon’s College hosts the Junior School Outdoor Invitational Tournament at Countesswells. From S1-S6 Senior girls compete in the Aberdeen League, ASSNA Tournaments, and the Scottish Cup competition. Several Senior girls represent the Grampian U15 and U17 district squads, and many progress into performance academies and national training squads. There are pupils who also play for Gordonians Sports Clubs and other local clubs.  

In Rugby, 12 teams train regularly throughout the week and play fixtures every Saturday. Our U13-U18 teams compete weekly in the SRU National (Caledonia/East) Schools Conference, whilst our U10-U12 teams play a variety of clubs and schools both locally and nationally. 

In the 2024/25 season, our U13-U18 rugby teams enjoyed success winning the Inspiresport Caledonia/East Schools Conference. Our 1st XV also won the U18 Scottish Schools Plate and the U18 Caledonia Cup. In Term 2, we also take part in the Scottish Schools 7s series and enter a number of teams into the world’s biggest rugby 7s tournament, the Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s. 

Many of our pupils go on to district or national representation, and some train in national squads. Others remain involved with the game throughout their lives, playing at various levels. A number of pupils also represent Gordonians Sports Clubs and other local clubs.

Ski race training for Junior and Senior School pupils is held weekly after school at Garthdee. RGC pupils and teams compete in national indoor, dry-slope and snow competitions, and have won the Indoor Ski Cross Scottish Championships for the past three years. The College has a proud tradition of talented skiers and boarders, with pupils selected for national training squads and competing across Europe each winter.

At Robert Gordon’s College, we are very lucky to have our own swimming pool at our Schoolhill site, which means the Swimming Club is very popular. This club is open to pupils in both Junior and Senior School, taking place both in the morning and after school. The Swimming Team take part in a number of competitions across the year, including our Junior and Senior School gala’s, swim matches, and triangular events against other schools, Scottish Schools Swimming events, and a national invitational competition for independent schools amongst others. 

At Robert Gordon’s College, there are plenty of opportunities to get out on the court and play tennis. We have 12 outside courts, available during the summer term, with opportunities to play for our Senior Tennis teams during the autumn/winter terms. The Senior Tennis teams play in the Scottish Schools Tennis Championship for both senior boys and girls. Training for the Junior and Senior School players is very popular, offering a choice for competitive players as well as those seeking a more recreational approach. All sessions are led by a qualified tennis coach.