Sport
P.E
At Loughborough Grammar School, Physical Education from Years 6 – 9 follows a concept-based curriculum that goes beyond developing skills; it encourages lifelong learning, participation and love for Sport. Our inclusive approach ensures every boy is engaged, supported and challenged regardless of ability.
From Year 6 through to Year 13, the Games Progamme offers opportunities in our core subjects; Rugby, football, hockey and cricket. Specialist staff work closely with pupils from the moment they arrive, helping each boy to reach and often exceed his potential. Along the way, boys form lasting friendships and unforgettable memories as they develop the values and habits that will stay with them for life.
The major sports always put out A and B teams however the Grammar School likes to ensure there are opportunities for many boys to represent their school and so there are always additional teams, particularly for the lower age groups. All pupils also can attend any of the many after-school and lunchtime sports clubs that are on offer, even if they are not necessarily a regular team member.
Multi-sports and different options are also offered to boys in Year’s 10, 11, 12 and 13 in order to allow for other participation opportunities. There are also weekly PE lessons, many House competitions and Inter form football tournaments for all age groups.
The staff always promote the importance of involvement with clubs and teams outside of School and a healthy lifestyle through sporting involvement is promoted in PSHE lessons.
There is a breadth of opportunity on offer to pupils at the Grammar School. These include:
Rugby, Hockey, Cross country, Football, Basketball, Badminton, Swimming, Water Polo, Fencing, Table Tennis, Climbing, Squash, Mind Sports, Cricket, Athletics, Triathlon, Tennis and Golf.
We are delighted to be developing strong links with British Triathlon and the Lawn Tennis Association as well as engaging with Loughborough University through their research and sport specific programmes.
Quick Links
Fixture Lists
The fixture lists are put in place by the Head of Department and are designed to be challenging to test and develop both teams and individuals. Loughborough Grammar School is increasing the variety of co-curricular clubs and activities, and we hope that this in turn will increase the number of pupils across the school playing representative sport.
Sporting achievements 2024/25
County Champions
⚽️
U15 Football
🏉
u15 & U16 Rubgy
🏸
U14 & U16 Badminton
🏑
U13 hockey
🏊
KS3 swimming u15, u14 & u12 champions
Our Core Sports
Hockey
Hockey is a major sport option for all boys at the Grammar School played during the Autumn and Spring terms. The current hockey programme fields 16 boys’ teams and allows all hockey players the opportunity to train twice a week, during games and after school, and play a fixture either midweek or on a Saturday morning. Throughout the year we are involved in numerous prestigious National competitions as well as county and regional tournaments. There is also an opportunity for our senior players to train and play in Indoor tournaments.
We strive to create a supportive and enjoyable environment in which pupils are encouraged to play hockey with confidence, to respect themselves and each other, and to work as a team. Above all, we want pupils to enjoy the experience of playing hockey and ultimately continue to play hockey once they leave school, no matter the level.
We have recently run several successful tours for Year 8 to Manchester, Year 10 to Bournemouth and a Senior hockey tour to Holland where the boys and staff got to exhibit European hockey at the highest level.
In addition to a normal training week, we have set up our Hockey player pathway, designed to provide a comprehensive training experience for hockey players who have demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication to the sport. This has been very successful since our start up in 2024 and allows us to bring together a mixture of players and challenge them to get the best out of themselves and each other.
Rugby
Rugby at LGS continues to thrive, with over 250 boys representing the school last season. We’re proud of that level of involvement and are committed to keeping participation strong.
Our fixture list remains highly competitive, and we aim to maintain that standard. This provides valuable challenges and helps set the bar for our own players. Fixtures take place every Saturday during full school weeks, and the full schedule is available on the SOCS website.
Off the field, the Gym is being used more frequent, and we’ve seen a real shift in culture, with more boys taking training seriously. The gym is vital not only for developing strength and power but also for injury prevention, which is a key part of long-term performance and wellbeing.
Our Player Pathway Programme, has now been rolled out to our Year 10 cohort. This includes extra training sessions, early morning swimming, and a school breakfast, all of which have had a significant impact on the boys’ mindset and commitment.
At the heart of our Rugby Programme is a focus on skill development. We firmly believe that achieving excellence requires going the extra mile. That’s why we run lunchtime skill clinics and after-school training sessions for all year groups. Regular attendance and commitment are expected from every player, not just to improve on the field, but to grow as individuals. We have established protocols in place which we encourage all sportsmen to follow.
Our aim is to help each boy reach his potential while ensuring he enjoys the experience of representing LGS.
We have a track record of improving and developing our rugby players as they benefit from the outstanding coaching from excellent rugby masters. The current Director of Rugby, Mr Lewis, is one of a few Level 4 qualified coaches in the country.
The rugby club provides boys with the opportunity to train both during games lessons and after school. Eight rugby pitches, temporary floodlighting, indoor facilities and excellent equipment enable players and staff to enjoy rugby no matter what the weather, or condition, of the pitches.
The rugby club has started a formal relationship with Loughborough University, where; our Year 10 rugby players have the experience of being coached by the University’s rugby coaches as well as their strength and conditioning staff. This is a relationship we are hoping to continue to grow to allow other year groups to develop their skills and high performance capability.
Former Scotland and 7’s international and current 1XV captain Alex Glashan is an example of the quality of coaching a rugby player will encounter at Loughborough University.
LGS rugby players also have the opportunity to develop their experience further afield: Year 7s experience a tour with Mr Parton to Blackpool; Year 9s have been to Belfast, Edinburgh and more recently South Wales – last year they experienced watching Wales lift the Grand Slam trophy, an experience they, and Mr Lewis, will never forget. To cap this all off, there is a long haul tour for the boys at the end of their school rugby careers.
More recently this has taken the boys to Dubai and in July 2021 South Africa, where the boys will hopefully get to watch the British and Irish Lions play.
Football
With a proud footballing tradition dating back over 350 years, the sport is enjoying a dynamic resurgence at Loughborough Grammar School. Now one of the most popular choices among students, our football programme is led by a UEFA A licensed coach and offers high-level training and competition. Teams compete in prestigious national tournaments such as the ISFA and ESFA Cups, while our senior squad represents the school in the highly competitive Mercian League.
In 2024/25, our U15 Football team made the ISFA U15 Semi Final.
Football at Loughborough Grammar School comes in at the U15s age group (Year 7) and is played up through the school.
Our teams compete in prestigious competitions such as the ESFA, ISFA Cup and County Cup, in addition to a wide range of friendly matches, providing valuable experience and fostering a strong sense of teamwork and sportsmanship. Senior 1st and 2nd XI also compete in the prestigious Mercian Independent Schools League and over recent years, LGS team has toured Spain and Italy with the most recent tour to Milan to train at Inter Milan.
We are proud to have students who represent Category 1 Premier League Academies and play for the ISFA Midlands teams, showcasing the exceptional talent within our ranks.
The football program at our school has seen significant growth and enhancement in recent years. We proudly offer teams for every age group, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to develop their skills and passion for the game.
The sport is a highly popular choice within our games program, however looking ahead, we are committed to further enhancing the opportunities and provisions available, continuing to provide a platform for our students to excel both on and off the pitch.
As part of our commitment to developing football excellence, we are proud to be an official community partner of Leicester City Football Club. This collaboration provides our students with access to professional coaching, workshops, and exclusive football-related experiences. The partnership also supports the growth of grassroots football, helping our players enhance their skills and engage with the wider community.
To keep up with our latest fixtures and results, be sure to check out our Sports portal. This platform provides real-time updates on match schedules, locations, and scores, helping you stay connected with our teams’ performances throughout the season.
Cricket
Every year our Cricket team goes from strength to strength, with boys representing the school across all age groups and participating in a rich fixture list, including the MCC and national competitions. Pre-season training begins in January, supported by expert coaching from Tom Flowers Cricket. The new six-land artificial net complex nets ensure year-round development.
A highlight is our international tours to India and Sri Lanka that provide unforgettable experiences for many of our boys.
Over the years, many pupils have gone on to represent their counties, with the school offering full support.
Cricket continues to be a popular sport throughout the summer term with a large number of boys representing the school across all age groups. The newly built artificial complex at school will provide excellent facilities for all age groups to develop their skills throughout the year. Recent long haul tours have taken cricketers to India and Sri Lanka enabling LGS pupils to experience different cultures and conditions, both on and off the field.
Cricket preparations for the season start in earnest in January with sessions on a weekly basis for different age groups in the LGS sports hall.
The school work closely with Tom Flowers Cricket Coaching to provide expert coaching throughout the school. Tom (qualified Level 4 ECB Coach) and members of his qualified team assist with games sessions during the summer term, as well as pre-season, to ensure boys are fully prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.
A number of boys are involved in their respective County teams and the Grammar School wholeheartedly supports this involvement during the term and over the summer.
The school run teams at all levels on Saturdays during the summer with many of the age groups involved with the County Cups run by Team Leicestershire Sport.
The current U13 will be contesting the National Bunbury Cup in April due to their winning the County Cup in 2019 and the U15’s are also due to play their County Cup final in April.
The 1st XI has a full fixture list which includes high profile games against the MCC and the Loughburians, which is keenly contested for the Sam Yaxley Trophy (Old Loughburian 1997-2004) The side also play a traditional 2-day game versus Manchester Grammar School, which has been running for over 20 years, which was decided on the last ball last year!
The exciting news moving forward is the completion of a 6 lane artificial net complex at school which will provide the means to support coaching on a more regular basis for the coming season and beyond. It is hoped that pupils across the Loughborough Schools Foundation will be able to make use of these high quality facilities so that all cricketers are developed and encouraged from an early age.
Strong Sports
Other strong sports include:
- Badminton
- Athletics
- Triathlon
In 2024/25, both our U14 and U16 Badminton teams were champions at county level.
Coaching and Training
The Grammar School have training sessions in place for all the major sports and age groups during the week. More able players are encouraged to assist in coaching the younger age groups to facilitate their understanding and knowledge. Our Elite players, who are part of programmes outside of school (e.g. DPP Rugby, County Hockey, Tennis, Athletics and Cricket) are supported and allowed to attend training sessions and play matches during school hours. Players are also recommended by the School coaching staff, to respective Governing bodies, associations and organisations that run these programmes.
Many staff members are former or current professional athletes competing nationally and internationally in their respective sports. Like Mr. Gidley for instance, who competed this year in the Over 50’s England Cricket Team in the Australian Ashes. This gives our pupils real insight and connections in their sport.
Student Athlete Programme
At Loughborough Grammar School, we recognise the demands faced by pupils balancing the rigours of elite-level sport with academic excellence. The Student Athlete Programme exists to support and elevate our most committed young sportsmen those already competing at regional or national level with a comprehensive framework that promotes long-term development, performance, and wellbeing.
Sports Facilities
The extensive playing fields at our site in Quorn are utilised Monday to Saturday throughout the year for rugby, football, cross country, athletics, and cricket. Matches are played every Saturday in all the major sports but also midweek matches are a regular feature (notably in rugby and cricket).
The playing fields at School are used for Rugby training sessions in the Autumn and Spring term whilst during the summer term, the 1st XI cricket pitch and grass cricket nets are in full use.
The Grant Sutcliffe Astro is used Monday to Saturday throughout the year and predominantly for Hockey during the Autumn and Spring terms. It is always in use for Games and PE sessions, matches and afterschool training sessions, Monday to Thursday. Recreational cricket sessions are also run on this astro.
The Swimming pool is used during PE lessons in the Spring term and the Grammar School swimming club use if for afterschool sessions twice a week. The Loughborough Schools Foundation Triathlon Club train in the pool twice a week and the LGS Rugby teams have aqua fitness sessions pre-school on Thursdays.
The Grammar School Sports Hall is used all year for PE lessons. Badminton and Basketball Clubs are held in the Sports Hall for training and matches. The Boarding Houses also use the Sports Hall for evening training sessions and off season there are Cricket sessions held for two evenings during the Spring term.
The Weights Room is used during PE lessons and is open to pupils every lunchtime and afterschool. There is a qualified Level 3 instructor available for the after school sessions
We also have an artificial Cricket net complex with four full and two half closed lanes that are open to pupils at lunchtime.
Latest Sport News
Talented Athlete Places in the Top 15 at Pentathlon U17 World Championships
Talented athlete and Loughborough Grammar School pupil, Oliver, has recently returned from the UIPM Pentathlon U17 World Championships having ranked 12th in the world at the competition which took place in Johannesburg on 18 July. Competing against some of the best junior athletes globally, this sporting success follows Oliver’s recent achievement, just one month earlier,…
Mr Gidley Leads England to Marlborough Cup Glory
We are delighted to share that Mr Martyn Gidley, who coaches cricket at Loughborough Grammar School, captained the England Over 50s Cricket Team to a clean sweep in the 2025 Marlborough Cup, winning all three fixtures. England’s results were as follows: England vs USA – won by 49 runs England vs India – won by…
