Hosted at Strathallan earlier this month, the RGC U15 Netball team delivered a fantastic performance at the inaugural Scottish Independent Schools Netball Association U15 Tournament, securing silver medals and an individual award. 

Competing against strong opposition schools from Strathallan 1s and 2s, Fettes, Mary Erskine, Gordonstoun, St Columba’s, High School of Dundee, Hamilton College, and Lathallan in short 16 minute matches, the girls had to settle quickly and work hard in both attack and defence to get the results required to progress. 

An impressive set of results in the pool stages saw the team progress unbeaten to the semi-finals, where they faced a physical and aerial Mary Erskine side. Despite sustaining an injury during the game, the team rallied together and didn’t let it disrupt their flow, running out 15-6 winners and setting up a final vs Fettes, a team they had already faced earlier in the day. 

A closely contested final ensued, with both teams showing their skill and flair. Unfortunately, they narrowly missed out on the top spot, going down 10-9 in the final. However, the girls were absolutely delighted to be returning to Schoolhill with silver medals. 

When it came to individual Player of the Day awards, the Director of Sport at Strathallan presented Ines DK the accolade of Most Valuable Player of the Tournament, recognising her talent and a most impressive performance at Goal Defence.

Sofia HA (S3), Captain, shared: Participating in the first-ever U15 Independent Schools Tournament was an unforgettable experience. It was both challenging and exhilarating as we faced off against strong opposition, which pushed us to perform at our best. I’m extremely proud of how our team came together, demonstrating teamwork and determination throughout the competition. After playing in a closely contested final, finishing in second place was a fantastic achievement. We all had an amazing time at the tournament where we strengthened our bond as a team and proudly represented RGC. We’re so grateful to have had this opportunity and are already looking forward to events like this in the future!”

Miss Duddy, Head of Netball, added: “Coming away from the inaugural U15 Independent Schools Tournament as silver medallists is a fantastic achievement and the team should be so proud of the netball they displayed and their efforts throughout the day. The standard of netball the girls were playing drew attention from other schools and the girls were constantly commended on their efforts and quality of their play. They worked tirelessly all day and constantly demanded a lot from each other, which is testament to the work ethic of this team and their desire to be the very best they could be. 

“The girls were highly motivated from the beginning and quick to settle, keeping their work rate and intensity high until the final whistle of each game, regardless of the score. Due to injuries and unavailability, we were a slightly different looking outfit than normal, but the fact we were able to welcome three new players in without much disruption speaks volumes about this team and their temperament. Captain Sofia and Vice-Captain Ines led the team superbly all day, really leading by example and providing the team with motivational team talks and feedback during all matches and keeping the focus very much on making the final.

“This team has had an absolutely fantastic season, reaching the Quarter Finals of the Scottish Cup, retaining their ASSNA League title and most recently, also retaining the title at the Aberdeen Secondary Schools Netball Association Junior A tournament. It has been an absolute delight to coach this group this season and I look forward to watching them progress further with their netball journey as they make the transition to Senior Netball next year. We certainly have some talent coming up through the ranks and the future of RGC Netball certainly looks strong.”

Congratulations to all players!