Play Video NowSports
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. The fixture list includes many of the South West's leading rugby schools. Our seven-a-side teams play in Hereford, Taunton, Oxford and Rosslyn Park.
In the last few years, two ex-Plymouth College boys have represented England B, 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. We have had seven under 18 internationals and five at under 16. The Devon Schools' sides consistently contain many Plymouth College boys.
Each team throughout the school from under 12 to the 1st XV has experienced coaches and all the junior age groups have 'A' and 'B' teams.
We will field twelve teams this term with almost a third of the school involved.
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 2006, when we visited South Africa.
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.