Solihull School - Sport

Sport

Sport plays a major part of life at Solihull School, as is true of many similar schools. The campus covers an area of approximately 60 acres (240,000 m2) and this includes rugby pitches, cricket squares, football pitches, an all-weather pitch, all-weather training areas, tennis courts, squash courts, Athletics facilities (running track and jumps/throws areas), climbing wall, rifle range, an indoor swimming pool and two gymnasiums.

Boys' Games

• Rugby union is the main competitive team sport and is played from the age of 11 onwards. The standard of coaching is high at all age levels, with the vast majority of the coaching staff having played for professional clubs. The First XV traditionally play in a dark blue jersey with narrow, horizontal white and maroon stripes, white shorts and dark blue, maroon and white socks. The striped jersey has, in recent years, been swapped for a maroon shirt with blue sleeves. The teams have recently done well nationally, the First XV having won the Daily Mail Vase Cup in 2011 at Twickenham, is the furthest the school has ever reached. Solihull School regularly produces players who attain representative honours at county level and beyond. The Big Side teams tour biennially to, amongst other countries, Australia, South Africa and Canada. The u.15 age-group travel to Italy each year to play against several Italian club sides. Solihull School also plays rugby sevens, competing at national tournaments such as The National Schools Sevens at Rosslyn Park, Blackpool Sevens and Fylde Sevens. The Old Boys fixture is always an eagerly anticipated and hotly contested event, with many pupils, Old Silhillians and parents turning out to watch the current XV compete against a selection of Old Silhillians. The match, held in early December, is usually preceded by a barbecue and followed by drinks, speeches and presentations in the Alan Lee Pavilion.
• Hockey is also a hugely popular and successful sport. Solihull School has former Olympic team member, Chris Mayer, as Head Hockey Coach. The First XI have, in recent years, scored victories over the likes of Rugby School, Warwick School, both of which are local rivals, advancing through the rounds of the regional and national cup competitions in the process.
• Soccer has recently been adopted into the curriculum in the Senior School and the 1st XI compete in the ISFA.
• Cricket has, in recent years, produced players of an extremely high calibre, many of whom have represented Warwickshire CCC at first-class level. Several players have been rewarded for fine school and county performances with international honours. Both batsmen and bowlers from Solihull School have been cited in the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack for outstanding performances over the course of a season. The school's recently formed Twenty20 team, who play in an all red kit, compete at various Twenty20 schools' tournaments around the country.
• Athletics brings huge success, as Solihull School regularly beat many of Britain's most prestigious schools. The school provides many representatives for the Solihull Borough athletics team, as well and the West Midlands and Midlands teams. Daniel Caines, former World Champion indoor 400 m runner, is an Old Silhillian.

Girls' Games

• Hockey is the main winter sport for girls and, as with the boys' XI, the coaching is of a high standard and the quality of play is high. The team competes well in regional and national competitions. The Solihull School kit consists of maroon or white tops, navy blue skirts and socks.
• Rounders is played in the summer and the first team play a wide range of schools from across the country. The team plays in a blue skirt and white polo shirt. A picnic is held for the Upper Sixth pupils on the afternoon of the last game of the season.
• Netball is popular, with a 1st and 2nd team, both of very high standards, competing during the summer term. The teams play in identical kits to that of the rounders team.
• Athletics. The squad travel to, and compete at many of the same competitions as the boys. The success of the boys' team is mirrored to some extent in the girls' team. However, the girls do not take part in as many invitational meetings as the boys' team.

N.B. Sports as such golf, shooting (both clay pigeon and rifle shooting), Swimming, cross country, sailing, tennis, squash and badminton are all played within the school and teams are put forward to compete against other schools. Also, an even wider range of sports are played recreationally. These include basketball, lacrosse and water polo.

School colours

• School Colours are given to a pupil who has represented School in his or her chosen sport. The reward takes the form of a dark blue blazer with narrow red and white vertical stripes. These may be worn instead of the standard plain blue blazer.

Since 2006 it has been possible for those who have achieved in the theatrical or musical arenas to be awarded the sport blazer. This has caused some unrest amongst Old Silhillians and current pupils who see it as an erosion of tradition. When a pupil achieves school colours, they get a silver school crest that goes on the breast pocket. Those achieving "double colours" get a gold crest to replace the silver.