This week saw the welcome return of the Senior School Co-Curricular Swim Clubs and as a result of the fantastic response to the S1-2 club in particular, the Swim Team has set up an additional club for our Improvers. Swimming is such an important life skill so we are delighted to be able to accommodate all interested swimmers in these year groups. Lunchtime Netball clubs started for S1 and S2 which are open to all abilities to help improve skills and give the opportunity for match play. The P5 co-curricular Netball Club was extended to include P4 and it is great to see so many of our younger players starting their netball journey. P3-P4 pupils were delighted to start Ball Skills Club.

Rugby

The 2nd XV welcomed Aberdeen Wanderers to Countesswells on Wednesday evening for a friendly match. It was a win for RGC with the boys continuing to make good progress in developing their attacking shape and they were tough and organised in defence.

On Saturday morning, Countesswells was again in full flow with all our rugby teams playing local opponents, Deeside RFC. It was great to see so many visiting spectators alongside our own. There were wins for P6 Stripes and P6 Reds and as much as our P7 boys showed flair and creativity in attack, they were outmuscled by a strong Deeside team. We saw a great turnout again from our Junior School boys which was fantastic.

Our S1 teams played a half each against Deeside. First up were the stripes who demonstrated some strong running and capable tackling to take the win. The second half saw the red team showing periods of good possession to advance the ball into the opponent’s 22m and it was a win for the visitors. The S2s played mixed teams with one win and one draw. Meanwhile the S3s played 3 x 20 minute games with the A & B teams resulting in an overall win for RGC. There was some great rugby on display from our pupils and it was excellent to have 29 boys playing. They spread the ball out wide well and their defensive structure is starting to come together. 

By the time S4 started their match, the conditions had deteriorated somewhat but this didn’t deter the boys who played some fantastic attacking rugby to win the match. The focus on support play is working as RGC were the first to the breakdown and there were some excellent individual performances bustling with energy in defence in particular.

The 1st XV continued their good form, this week against a physical Deeside team. Their skills eventually found space in the defensive line and they pulled away with an impressive win.

Hockey

P6 and P7 girls were very excited to be embarking on their first away match and they headed off just before 8am to Strathallan School. The P6 girls demonstrated excellent play where they thought carefully about their passes and took every opportunity to attack at goal resulting in a fantastic win. As Strathallan were a little short of players, the RGC girls stepped up and played for them and even managed to score their only goal! The P7A & B teams were playing against a very well organised and structured Strathallan side who displayed some excellent passing play and won both matches. The RGC girls however showed resilience where they fought hard and defended well. Overall this was a great day out for the girls and they had a ball!  

Back at Countesswells, S2A played against St Margaret’s where the game came to life in the second half. St Margaret’s were first to score but in response the RGC girls played their best hockey scoring two late goals and taking the win. Albyn were the opponents for S2B and as with the S2A game, they started to play when they were a goal down. We scored an equaliser before conceding a second goal in the second half. Coach Mr Taylor said a big ‘thank you’ to the S2B girls for playing so well in the heavy rain.

S3 also played the Albyn B team where there was some attractive hockey on display at times in the challenging conditions. The girls showed promise early on with the creation of some great chances and an overall win.

The 3rd XI had a tough day at the office against the Albyn 1st XI which included 3 District and Pathway players who proved too strong for us. Despite the loss, Mr Stuart reported that the girls worked harder than he could have ever imagined in horrendous conditions and represented the school with great pride and enthusiasm. The girls never stopped trying to play the system and style he asked of them. It was wonderful to see a third senior team out for the first time in a few years.

There was an exceptional performance from the 2nd XI girls against St Margaret’s, with RGC controlling the game from first whistle to last. They delivered all the key game principles we asked of them and they played dynamic, passing hockey. This was a very positive start to the season for the 2nd XI.

The 1st XI girls were excellent against a very defensive St Margaret’s team. They were a goal down at half time due to a break away goal, even though we controlled the game. The girls came out after half time with renewed confidence and belief, and quickly equalised from a rebound off a well worked corner. RGC dominated so much of the play but a little rustiness in front of the goal meant we could not find the winner. This was a very positive first competitive game in 18 months and the girls progressed well from start to finish.

There were no external fixtures for boys hockey on Saturday, instead it was 1st XI vs 2nd XI with a win for the 1sts. 

Skiing

On Sunday our Senior School Ski Race Team took part in a great evening of skiing at the Scottish Schools (SSSA) Aberdeen Qualifier. The Open and S1-S3 teams both won their respective competitions to qualify for the finals in November. Pupils also took 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in a bonus fun knockout competition.

There was success also for our Junior School Ski Race A Team who were 2nd at the SSSA Dual Slalom Qualifier at Garthdee on Friday. This result means they have now qualified for the finals at Snow Factor, Glasgow. Well done also to the B Team who also demonstrated some excellent skiing at the same event. 

Team of the Week

Congratulations to P6 Girls Hockey winning Team of the Week after their first competitive game on Saturday. The girls won their match against Strathallan and gave a fantastic display of sportsmanship. They were rewarded with some strawberry tarts in the Governor's Room at Tuesday break time with Mr Macpherson, Mr Harper and other members of the Senior Leadership Team. Well done girls!

All scores can be found on our Sport Website.

 

 



 

Sport Update: Week commencing 6 September 2021