Hockey: Four Cheshire titles for King’s

The King’s School hockey teams have enjoyed a bumper season, adding no fewer than four county titles to the trophy cabinet in 2023-24.

In March, the U18 girls squad won the Cheshire Cup, winning four matches and drawing one in a tough competition held at King’s Macclesfield. With 11 of the players leaving King’s this year, their victory in the Cheshire Cup final ensured that they ended their school hockey careers on a high. 

In the boys’ competition, county championships are contested in three age groups – U18, U16 and U14 – and all three King’s squads qualified for their respective final, making an unprecedented treble a very real possibility.

All three final were played in the same week and, with each team giving their all on the pitch, King’s became the first school in recent memory to take all three Cheshire titles. 

The U18s beat Sandbach, Lymm and King’s Macclesfield on their way to the final where they faced Altrincham Grammar School, who had successfully defended their U18 title since 2018. The challenge was clear but King’s held their nerve to win 6-5 and take the title from the holders. 

The U16s have had a particularly impressive season and used the county final as part of their preparation for the upcoming National Tier 1 semi-final at Olympic Park. Also facing Altrincham Grammar, the team put in an impressive performance to win 9-0.

The U14s felt the pressure to achieve the unprecedented treble as they approached their final against King’s Macclesfield. Having reached the Tier 1 National quarter finals, King’s went into the match as favourites but the loss of a couple of key players through injury left the game open. In a tight match, King’s held on to win 2-1 and lift the trophy. 

Director of Hockey, Simon Egerton, congratulated the four squads. 

He said: “This has been an incredible season in which we have seen hockey at King’s go from strength to strength. 

“We have won a total of 11 titles at various age groups over the course of the season, plus a National silver medal for the U13 boys, and appearances in two National top tier quarter finals. And we’re not even done with the season yet; the U16s are playing in the top tier National semi-finals this week, and the U13s will play in the In2Hockey National Finals.

“Both the girls and the boys games are in great shape and I cannot wait to see what we continue to achieve next season.”