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Friday 7th June saw the official opening of our new indoor sports facility: The Robin Dyer Sports Centre. Named in honour of outgoing Second Master, Robin Dyer, who has given 33 years of exceptional service to the College. the centre will provide space for cricket, tennis and, for the first time, a showcase court for netball.
The opening event saw a fantastic display of tennis, cricket and netball, celebrating these sports in their brand new arena. The evening started with masterclasses for our current students in tennis and cricket, led by our current professional and head coaches.
The headline event was a netball match, with the current 1st VII playing alongside Superleague and international netball players such as Rhea Dixon, Yas Parsons and Rachel Dunn. Wellington teachers, Amy Flanagan and Sophia Candappa, our very own Superleague players, were also to be seen running around and joining in the action on court. With a cheering crowd of students, it was a great display and a chance to see players such as Rachel Dunn, who will be representing England at the World Netball Cup this July.
Speaking at the event, Robin Dyer praised those whose contributions had led to this moment:
“This building is the product of so much work from so many quality people. Malcolm Callender put his heart and soul into it – he would have been rightly proud of the outcome. We have lost an extraordinary person but this building, and his other projects, will stand as testimony to him. Thank you to Andrew Blackie and the team and to the excellent contractors – Collinsons and S & C Slatter. They have all done an incredible job.
Julian Thomas has supported this project in so many ways, and has been critical to its success; the stand you are sitting in, for example, is his masterstroke. We are so fortunate to have Lucy Pearson here who led us brilliantly through the first stages of the co-ed sport era; she handed the baton to Liz Worthington, also here, who sustained that progress and now we have Cress Henderson, as the SLT lead on sport. All three are brilliant sportswomen in their own right and great leaders. I have no doubt that this building will help to provide a springboard for girls’ cricket and tennis and for our excellent netballers to go into orbit. Boys’ cricket and tennis will undoubtedly thrive. I hope and trust that the local clubs and community, and OW clubs, will be able to use this place as much as possible. It is a remarkable facility”.
