Dulwich College Michaelmas Term Sports Round Up

Cricket

Throughout the winter months, many pupils have benefitted from the on-going training programme, which continues to support the College’s keen cricketers.

Congratulations to Roan and Yohan for their selection for the Surrey CCC and Kent CCC Senior Academies for 2025–26, respectively. Their selection highlights impressive commitment and skill, and we wish them luck throughout the winter and summer programmes for their counties. Roan’s and Yohan’s selection also comes as Dulwich College has been recognised as one of The Cricketer magazine’s Top 100 Cricket Senior Schools in the UK, a proud achievement for all involved.

Cross Country

Well done to the senior and intermediate cross-country teams who, after successfully qualifying from the regional round, headed to Warwickshire for the English Schools Cross Country Cup Final. On a successful, if muddy, day both our intermediate and senior boys finished eighteenth in fields of twenty-eight and twenty-seven, respectively.

Football

It has been a fantastic start to the football season. Every pupil in the Junior School took part in numerous fixtures against varied opposition, including Eaton House, Dulwich Prep & Senior, Thomas’ Fulham, and Hornsby House. It was wonderful to see the young pupils making such positive progress in their technical skills and game understanding. A special mention must go to the Year 6 team, who won the ISFA London Regional Tournament to qualify for the National Finals at St George’s Park in May.

Alongside regular fixtures, we were pleased to host 32 teams at our U10 local schools’ tournament, bringing together local state and independent schools. A further eight schools attended our U11 overload tournament, offering teams a different tactical challenge.

In the Lower School, the U13 team made a good start to the season with strong performances against Kingsdale, Colfe’s, and Alleyn’s, but unfortunately lost to Epsom in the third round of the National Cup.

In the Middle School, the U15 team began the year well with victories over Alleyn’s and Trinity before beating Mill Hill in the third round of the national cup in extra time. A tough penalty loss in the fourth round, away to Millfield, put pay to any further progress, but the team made great strides ahead of next term.

In the Upper School, the 1st XI started the year strongly with wins over Haberdashers, City of London and St Joseph’s Ipswich before losses to Buckswood (4–5 after extra time) and Berkhamsted (3–4) ended their ISFA Cup and Trophy ambitions. However, in the English Schools Cup, the Michaelmas 1st XI have made fantastic progress, beating Ravenswood (2–1), Royal Russell (3–0), Fulham Boys (5–0), and Wilson’s (2–1) to earn a place in the fifth round. They face Maidstone Grammar on Friday 12 December, and we wish the team the best of luck as they look to reach the last 16.

Alongside this, it has been great to field five Michaelmas teams this term, with fixtures against Alleyn’s, Highgate, Ibstock Place, and Royal Russell, allowing more boys than ever the chance to prepare for the upcoming season.

In representative news, well done to Harry, Jack and Chib who head off on the ISFA national representative team Christmas camps. Congratulations must also go to Mylo who has been selected in the England U16 squad for their upcoming camp at St George’s Park. It was also amazing to see recent leavers and OA’s Seth Ridgeon and Reuben Gokah both playing for England in the U17 World Cup and U17 European Qualifiers respectively.

Golf

The Dulwich College golf team enjoyed an excellent term of competitive and friendly fixtures, recording a series of strong performances.

The season began with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Eltham College in the Swift Foursomes, followed by a solid fifth-place finish at the Smarden Bell Scratch Stableford. Momentum continued with successive victories against Langley (2-1) and Emmanuel (4-2), highlighted by several standout individual wins.

Dulwich’s form peaked in the SWIFT fixtures, where the team delivered a clean sweep against KCS Wimbledon (3-0) and followed it with another dominant victory against Kingston Grammar School (3-0). This run culminated in a superb all-round performance against Hampton School, where a convincing 3-0 win secured qualification for the national finals of the SWIFT Foursomes for the first time.

The term concluded with a friendly fixture against Reigate Grammar School, with Dulwich edging the match 3½-2½ thanks to composed displays across the team.

Overall, it was a highly successful term for Dulwich golf, and the squad now looks forward to carrying this momentum into the next stage of the season.

Rugby

The 2025 rugby season has been another fantastic one. Each Saturday, the College has averaged an incredible 27 teams in action, one of the highest numbers in the country. This remarkable depth and competitiveness highlights both the strength of the programme and the commitment of players and staff.

The U12 age group has made a superb start to their rugby journey. The U12A team enjoyed an outstanding run of eight consecutive victories, while the depth of talent at this level was reflected in the large number of teams the College was able to field, sometimes up to eight Year 7 teams allowing all pupils who selected the sport to be involved.

The U13s have also impressed, with the U13A team producing superb rugby against notable opposition, including a dominant performance against St Paul’s. The U13C and U13D teams also deserve special mention, with nine wins and an unbeaten season respectively, achievements the boys can be immensely proud of.

Across the U14 age group, teams have remained consistently competitive, displaying grit, skill, and continuous improvement.

The U15s have been outstanding across all teams. The U15B, C, and D sides have shown impressive cohesion and development, while the U15A team has arguably been the strongest A team in the College this year. They finished third at the Langley Festival and achieved impressive victories over Harrow, Wellington, and Berkhamsted.

The U16s have shown tremendous character, battling hard each week, and the U16A team has progressed to the fourth round of the School Sport Magazine National Cup, with high hopes of pushing on to the fifth.

The 1st XV has faced a challenging season but fought courageously in every match, earning notable wins over The John Fisher School and long-standing rivals Tonbridge. The 2nd XV has also shown real tenacity, including a strong win at St Paul’s, while the 3rd and 4th XV squads have enjoyed their best seasons in years, reflecting the strength and depth of senior rugby at the College.

A heartfelt thank you goes to all boys who represent the College each week. Their conduct, teamwork, and embodiment of the game’s values are a credit to themselves and to Dulwich College.

Squash

This term has been a positive and competitive one for squash, marked by strong participation and steady progress. The U18 team put in committed performances against Whitgift and Brentwood. A highlight of the season so far was fielding 16 players in a single fixture. The team then earned a well-deserved win against Trinity. After a challenging first-round exit in the National Schools competition, the team now moves into the Plate for Round 2, providing an excellent opportunity to develop. They look forward to more exciting fixtures next term.

Swimming

Swimmers from Tonbridge, Eton, and Dulwich came together for the annual TED Cup swimming gala, competing in the U14, U16, and U18 categories.

This year’s event was hosted by Eton, who welcomed teams to their impressive new state-of-the-art swimming facility, with conditions ideal for fast and exciting racing.

Several Lower School swimmers were included in the U14 team, with many representing Dulwich for the first time. They rose to the challenge brilliantly, gaining valuable experience and showing real promise alongside their older teammates.

The whole team, led by Year 13 captain Joseph and vice-captain Boris, approached the gala with energy and purpose. Their enthusiasm and camaraderie shone through from start to finish, perfectly reflecting the spirit that continues to define the College’s swimming community.

Water Polo

Well done to water polo players, Fred, Santi and Alessandro, who won bronze while representing London in the inter-regional competition at the weekend.