Sports
Director of Sport: Mr Steve Shortland email: sms@wellingtoncollege.org.uk
Wellington College has an enviable reputation for sporting success in boys' sport, and with the arrival of several notable sportswomen on the staff and the move to co-education, the girls' sport is also rapidly strengthening. Our pupils achieve personal and team success both within school and outside it.
The sports facilities are extensive and impressive. There are 16 rugby pitches, two floodlit astroturf pitches, a state-of-the-art Sports Hall, 22 hard tennis courts, 12 cricket pitches, an athletics track, two lacrosse pitches and six netball courts. The gym is very popular with students, including Concept 2 rowing machines running machines, cross-trainers and weights. There is also a dance studio, basketball/volleyball courts, a recently refurbished rackets court, badminton courts, a climbing wall, a shooting range and a nationally acclaimed nine-hole golf course in the grounds.
All the major sports are played to a very high standard. The most impressive element of sport at Wellington is its strength in depth. The number of pupils who represent the School in sporting fixtures is unrivalled.
We have always had a fine rugby tradition and this remains the case today. The 1st XV has been incredibly successful in recent years in what is one of the strongest school circuits. Eight Old Wellingtonians are currently playing premiership rugby, with one recently named in the England A squad and two current pupils are playing representative rugby for England at different age groups.
Cricket is the main summer sport for boys. Wellington has a coaching team that is the envy of other schools with Mark Ramprakash now working here during the winter months. Three of our coaches have been regular first-class cricketers, many others have considerable expertise and experience in club cricket and our leading girls' coach represented England with distinction between 1995 and 2005.
Hockey enjoys the exceptional facilities offered by the two Astroturf pitches. Almost all games are now played on artificial surfaces and there has been a significant increase in quality as a consequence. Girls play hockey in the Michaelmas Term, and boys in the Lent Term.
The golf course has improved the standards with recent victories in the Gerald Micklem Tournament a testimony to that. The wide range of sports on offer continue to improve in standard with the most notable examples being squash, football, polo, badminton, sailing and shooting.
The enjoyment of sport that is fostered at school continues beyond Wellington. The OW Cricket Club, Golf Club and Rugby Club are all thriving concerns. Indeed, the OW Rugby Club has won the Under 21 Old Boys' Tournament four times in the last eight years. It is extremely heartening to see so many former pupils continuing to enjoy their sport.
We are determined to build on this strong foundation of sporting success, and keep as many pupils as possible representing their school in as many sports as possible. Sport will always remain a vital part of education and we are making every effort to retain our well known depth, variety and excellence of sport. With that in mind, sports scholarships are being introduced for entry in September 2006 at 13+ and 16+. These will be available to all prospective pupils. For further details please contact the Admissions office on +44 (0)1344 444012.