Sports
Athletics/Cross-Country
Cross-country running is a major activity of the spring term,
with House Championships at all levels and inter-school meetings
throughout the South West, mainly at inter and senior levels. A
keen group of runners, known as the Puma Club, train throughout the
autumn and spring terms.
A Senior Sports Day is held on the Brickfields all-weather
facilities near the start of the summer term, with Junior Sports
Day on the School Field near the end of term.
Teams compete at all age groups in the Plymouth Schools
Championships.
At local level, College athletes are regularly selected to fill
some 20 - 25 places in the Plymouth Team for the Devon
Championships.
Badminton
An U19 and U14 girls and boys teams take part in the Plymouth
Schools Badminton League. Pupils also play in the individual
Plymouth competition.
Basketball
Pupils play competitively in the local schools league at under
19 level.
Boys' Hockey
This is played mainly during the spring term, although the Devon
Cup starts in the autumn term as well. Boys can begin to play
hockey in Year 7, and there are school teams at under 12, under 13,
under 14, under 15 and under 16, at second and first team levels.
Occasionally there are also matches for a mixed XI. Training takes
place in the Sports Hall or on the astro-turf, and use is also made
of the astro-turfs at Bull Point, Manadon and Brickfields. In
recent years Plymouth College has enjoyed considerable success, and
has supplied players to both the Devon and the South West under 18
squads.
Canoeing
Plymouth College Canoe Club is primarily a racing club,
competing in marathon races all over the South West. For the last
twenty years we have finished in the top four clubs in the region,
and have thus qualified for the national final. We also take part
in sprint events at Nottingham, and have had two under 16 national
champions. Canoeing takes place in the summer and autumn terms,
training on the river Yealm and the river Plym. Plymouth College
won the South-West Championship in 2007, retaining the trophy held
since 1998.
Cricket
The school has continued to maintain its reputation as one of
the strongest schools in the south west of England, competing
against teams of the calibre of MCC, Lord Wandsworth and
Blundell's. Tours of Barbados in 2002 and 2004 were very
successful, with an equally successful trip to Grenada in 2007. We
are part of the oldest-running schools cricket festival in the
country (and possibly the world).
Our 1st XI are consistently successful and players throughout
the school regularly represent the county. All year groups are part
of our winter net programme, where the opportunity exists to work
with coaches on a one-to-one basis.
Girls' Hockey
Hockey is the girls major game and is played during the autumn
term. The training takes place at Plymouth College on the
astro-turf and in the school's sports hall. All of the home
fixtures are played at Brickfields, Bull Point or Manadon
astro-turf.
The College currently fields under 12, under 13, under 14, under
15, under 16, 1st and 2nd teams, all playing a comprehensive
fixture list of approximately ten matches. Exceptions to this are
the under 12s who participate in six/seven matches, as the first
few weeks concentrate on introducing the game. The fixtures list
comprises schools such as Blundell's, Kelly College, Stover and
Devonport High School.
The squads have seen some considerable success with players
representing Devon and training at County Centres of Excellence. In
2001 we toured Australia, followed by tours of Barbados in 2004 and
2007 - fantastic experiences for all concerned.
Kayaking
This activity supplements the Canoe Club. Instruction is
available to gain BCU personal achievement awards up to 3 star. All
necessary equipment is provided for each course.
Netball
This is coached and fixtures are played in the spring term. For
all age groups practices run after school and fixtures are played
on Wednesday afternoons, Saturdays and on weekday evenings. Teams
are entered into all area, county and national schools
tournaments.
Rugby
Over the last twenty years, the College Fifteens and Sevens
teams have become recognised as among the most consistent in
the country and a significant force in the SW. The fixture
list includes many of the South West's leading Rugby Schools.
Our seven-a-side teams play in Hereford, Taunton, Brecon and
Rosslyn Park. In recent years, the First XV have travelled
further a field to play Llandovery College and Christ College
Brecon, and in 2010 Plymouth College will play Kirkham Grammar and
Bryanston for the first time.
In the last few years, two ex-Plymouth college boys have
represented England A, four have gained Blues at Oxford or
Cambridge and many have represented their county at senior level
and played for some of the major club sides in the country.
Will James, OPM, was capped by Wales during the last rugby world
cup and numerous old boys play National League rugby both locally
and around the country.
We have had eight U18 internationals and five at U16. The
Devon Schools' sides consistently contain many Plymouth College
boys. Currently, Henry Slade is in the England U18s and
Charles Attis represented the South West at under 16s.
Each team throughout the school, from under 12 to the 1st XV,
has experienced coaches. We are fielding eight teams this
term involving more than 55% of boys in the school.
Tours are undertaken both at home and abroad. In July 2001
we toured Australia with twenty three rugby players and had a very
enjoyable time in a magnificent but large country. Our
most recent tour was in 2008, when we visted South Africa with a
squad of 38 players. In 2010, the touring destination was
Canada.
Our most distinguished rugby playing old boy Paul Ackford
represented England in the 1991 World Cup and added to the honours
he had won for England and the British Lions.
Sailing
This takes place on Wednesday afternoons during the summer term
and the first half of the autumn term. Limited inter-schools
team-racing fixtures take place on Saturdays. The club has access
to five '420s', two 'Bosuns', Cheverton Launch, Dory and dinghy
with outboard. Currently it is available only to Sixth Form
students, due to timetable logistics, but frequently other members
of the school help to make up teams for fixtures.
Squash Club
Teams: We have three teams in Devon Junior League (under 13,
under 15 and under 17). Opponents include both clubs and schools
(mainly independent) in Devon. The 1st V play matches against the
Jesters, a visiting team of club and country standard. The senior
squad enter the National Championships.
Facilities: We have two courts at school and squash practices are
held during most lunchtimes. A house competition operates in the
autumn and spring terms. Each year group play a league tournament
from September to December.
Swimming
The school is a member of the BSSA and has a 25 metre five-lane
indoor pool suitable for galas and waterpolo. There are four
swimming competitions held through the year. Boys and girls compete
in matches against Blundell's, Exeter School, Truro, Sherbourne,
Taunton and Kings. As a result of the successful partnership with
Plymouth Leander, we now run an elite swimming programme and have
many nationally-qualified swimmers.
Tennis
There are strong links to local tennis clubs, including
Plymouth's leading junior club.
Facilities: The school has three courts on the astro pitch.
Teams: A 1st VI (often mixed) plays a short season of matches
against other independent schools.
Plymouth College pairs compete (at under 19 and under 15 level)
in Devon Schools Cup and Plymouth Schools Cup. In recent years the
under 15 boys have been runners-up in the Devon and winners of the
Plymouth tournaments; the under 19 girls have twice won the
Plymouth Schools trophy.
Practices: These begin in the second half of the spring term and
continue throughout the summer term. A school singles and doubles
tournament is held during the last few weeks of the summer
term.
A visit to the Lawn Tennis Championships, Wimbledon is arranged
most years.