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St Edward’s:
150 Years
Chapter 7 / Sport and Outdoors
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143
HOCKEY
Although School records mention that hockey was being
played recreationally at St Edward’s as early as 1886, it was
not until 1930 that the first inter-school fixture was played
against local rivals Magdelen College School. In the early years
hockey was very much the second Spring term sport, behind
rowing. It is only since 1956 that St Edward’s has been playing
competitive hockey as one of its major sports. Apart from 1977,
when the 1st XI remained unbeaten, success was patchy and
remained so up until the early 1990s, when the School finally
put down its first Astroturf pitch.
From that moment onwards a gradual improvement
started, and hockey began to become a well-established
and successful sport, alongside rugby, rowing and cricket.
Throughout the 1990s success started to be had, first at County
level then at Divisional level, and in the late 1990s our first
side made it to the National quarter and semi-final stages of
the then RAF Cup. The installation of a second pitch in 2002
coincided with the School’s most successful period of boys’
hockey, 2000–5, including two unbeaten years in 2000 and
2005. St Edward’s now regularly fields 11 boys’ teams and
ten girls’ sides. The School’s hockey philosophy is one of
promoting individual development alongside team values and
success. With the main aim being for pupils to play at the
highest level, they can succeed both at School and beyond.
We regularly provide both County and Divisional players, and
in recent years have had National success, with 2007 girls’
captain Zoe Shipperley having represented England at U16,
U18 and U21 level. Her brother, 2011 Boys’ Captain Rupert
Shipperley, represented Great Britain at U20 in the 2013 Youth
Olympics and OSE Peter Swainson currently represents Wales
at senior level.
Though girls’ hockey only began at St Edward’s in 1987, the
improvement has been steady, greatly helped by the School
Though the Special Race for Schools (introduced when
the A Level examinations were timetabled into the week of
the regatta) was won on a number of occasions (1977, 1983
and 1986, with three other finals appearances), the PE was
not again won until 1984. This crew included Hugh Pelham,
the son of Mike Pelham, Captain of Boats in the winning 1958
crew. They also shared the distinction of rowing in winning
Oxford Boat Race crews.
Girls’ rowing has been part of the Boat Club since the first
arrivals in the Sixth Form and numbers have grown steadily.
For over ten years we have boated crews at all the major heads
and regattas including the Schools’ Head and NSR. Teddies
girls have also represented Great Britain following crew medals
at NSR; most notably by Atlanta St John (gold in the coxed
four in 2003) and Emma Cadoux-Hudson (silver in both the
four and pair, 2010). Our J14 Octuple reached the final in 2010
and in 2013 we had eights in both the J15 and Championship
events. Entries at Women’s Henley are frequent, our top result
being the semi-final for the 2003 gold medallists.
Behind the scenes, the Boatmen are a crucial part of the
operation. Phil Colborne has been the man at the wheel since
2000 following father and son dynasty of Horace and Geoff
Beesley. Another unsung hero is Tony Snell who arrived
at Teddies in 1965 just after the centenary and formed an
association with the Boat Club that is still as strong as ever
today, nearly 50 years later. In this time Tony has, amongst
many things, been in support of GB athletes at trials as well as
running the J14 squad but moreover he has given time to those
who need it. He has an eye for those who love the river and
for the slow developer who often makes good. Tom Middleton
for one singled out Tony when he spoke at the Boat Club
dinner in 2001 after his appearance at the Sydney Olympics.
His Skiff expeditions are legendary and there could be a book
devoted entirely to him.
JohnWiggins
Master in Charge of Rowing
Below: Pre-dawn at Mequinenza, Spain, 2008.
Right: Henley, 2013.
Below right: The 1st Girls VIII at National Schools’ Regatta, 2013.
Right: Girls’trainingon
Fisher Field.
Below: Zoe Shipperley
playing intheNational
finals in 2007.
Bottom: Patrick Nagle
breaks through vs
Bradfield.