Exceptional Week for St Paul’s Sport

St Paul’s teams delivered an exceptional week of sporting success, showcasing impressive skill and teamwork across national competitions and end of season fixtures. From breakthrough wins to unbeaten runs, there was plenty to celebrate on every front.

Cross-Country

England Schools Cross Country National Finals – 6 December

SPS runners shone at the England Schools Cross Country National Finals on 6 December. Charlie Nicolson (Fifth Form) delivered a landmark performance as he stormed to victory in the Inters race, securing his first national win.

This marks another step forward for St Paul’s. Until last year SPS had never qualified a team for the National Finals. This year, for the first time, both eligible teams earned their place. The Inters Boys finished an impressive 4th out of 28 schools, missing the podium by just five points. The Seniors placed 19th out of 27, putting both teams firmly among the top 20 in the country.

SPS athletes
Inters: Charlie Nicolson (1st), Shunsei Kwan (15th), Cyrus Sheikh (42nd), Surya Kansagra (SPJ 54th), Edmund Ashworth Jones (135th), Toby Halsall (138th)
Seniors: Leau Roch (41st), Owen Xu (48th), Alfred Chen (82nd), Chris Garagnon (Co Captain Cross Country, 119th), Caspar Lakatos (120th)

Rackets

National Singles Championships, Queens Club – 7 December

St Paul’s made history at the National Singles Championships at Queen’s Club on 7 December. SPS players achieved a perfect record with 12 wins from 12 matches across the opening rounds. This remarkable clean sweep reflects both depth and discipline across the squad.

Congratulations to:
Fifth Formers: A. Arora, A. Kohli, L. Bauer, C. Poulios, S. Rio
Sixth Formers: A. Ahmad, H. Du, V. Sharma, A. Fletcher, J. Burch
Lower Eighths: A. Dhar

Rugby

SPS v London Oratory School – 7 December

SPS closed out the rugby season in style in the block fixture against London Oratory School on 7 December, winning all but one match.

The 1st XV capped their campaign with a dominant 45 – 12 victory, sealing their third straight win. The 2nd XV battled through a tightly contested match, leading at half time before London Oratory edged ahead for a 26 – 21 result.

The U16s enjoyed a superb day with the A and B teams winning 54 – 7 and 26 – 7. Special praise goes to the U16A and U14A squads who completed their entire fixture lists undefeated, an exceptional achievement at any level.

The U15s ended strongly with the A side winning 36 – 8 and the B team scoring a commanding 45 – 5 victory. The U15A team in particular have shown immense growth over the past year.

The U14 age group produced another clean sweep thanks to the A, B and D teams who posted wins of 45 – 0, 34 – 5 and 46 – 3. The U14A team concluded an unbeaten debut season at SPS, supported by outstanding depth across the entire year group. Their internal competition and collective commitment have been central to their success.