What an absolutely brilliant evening we had at the Senior School and Sixth Form Sports Awards Dinner on Friday, 13th June 2025. With over 250 students, parents and staff in attendance, Carrow Road was buzzing with an electric atmosphere.

A huge thank you to NCFC for their outstanding service throughout the night – everything ran so smoothly. It was wonderful to see so many well-deserved awards given out, celebrating the hard work, dedication and achievements across all our sports.

Mrs Smith, Director of Sport opened the event with a look back at the history of sport at Norwich High over the last 150 years and how much sport has progressed at the school. This included military drill in the late 1800s, moving onto the 1900s where it was considered unladylike for women and girls to run the full length of the court in netball. The game was designed to be graceful and non-strenuous with just dainty passes and minimal movement in corsets! Everyone was also amazed to see photos of the old white PE kit and lacrosse being played on the Big Pitch.

A real highlight of the evening was our special guest speaker, May Drinkell. Her Q&A session with Mrs Hood was truly inspiring and we know her journey as a semi-professional cricketer for Northamptonshire and captain of the Essex Academy (and former Norfolk ladies’ captain!) resonated deeply with our students. Her achievements, including being the first woman to receive the prestigious Louis Brookes Memorial Trophy, are truly remarkable and provided a fantastic example for all.

Over 150 awards were presented throughout the evening, ranging from swimming, hockey, cricket, rowing, equestrian, football and netball. The Under 18 hockey team were awarded team of the year, with U15 cricket captain Maya in Year 10 winning Captain of the Year and Gamar in Year 10 being crowned the Sports Personality, the only award to be voted by the audience on the night. Congratulations to everyone.

A huge thank you to all the auction prize donors and everyone who has supported the sports department this year. Your generosity makes a real difference. And finally, a massive thank you to our fantastic sports teachers – your passion and commitment are the backbone of our thriving sports programme.

It was a truly memorable evening celebrating another successful year in Norwich High sports!