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Sport HistoryAthletics Read moreAthletics CloseHistory of Athletics at Truro School Athletics, in various guises, has been at the school since it started in the 1880s when a Sports Fund primarily for athletics and gym equipment was set up, which pupils contributed to each term. Money for the fund was raised in different ways including one teacher giving Shakespearean recitals. Although an initial lack of interest meant that the money was at first used for cricket. New equipment was purchased in 1891, and the school magazine quipped that it ‘seems to have aroused in a good many minds, the idea, previously dormant, that such things have another object than being merely ornamental’. The first gymnasium was built in 1898, in the top quad [opposite the 6th form centre]. In 1927 when the new chapel was built, a new gym was included above it, although when the chapel was closed for repair in the 1960s gym classes were then taken outside. In the 1970s a new sports hall was built by pupils, staff, parents and friends of the school. It was completed in 1978 and was large enough for indoor sports including hockey, football, cricket and tennis, and also a climbing wall. The old gym was then converted into a 6th form common room. Enlarging the facilities available in the early 1990s led to a new gym being opened by Sebastian Coe in 1991. The first sports day was held in July 1891, and was held annually after that, often held the same day as Speech Day. It continued throughout wartime. In 1942 it was held on the newly acquired cricket field off Trennick Lane (now the car park area). It was reported that ‘the shape of the field makes it possible to set out a full Quarter-Mile track and a straight course for the 220 yards’. There were no prizes available because of wartime restrictions so teams and individuals competed only for house points. Paper chases were introduced in 1893 as ‘a branch of athletics’, and continued for many years. Cross country was given a new lease of life in the 1960s. The school magazine described it as a ‘sport of mud, hills, water, mud and even more mud’, and was generally around a circuit that included Pencalenick and Malpas. Cricket Read moreCricket CloseCricket History of Truro School The school had a ‘fairly good’ cricket team from early on despite a lack of good facilities for developing cricketers. Initially the cricket field was near the railway station and ‘not withstanding hillocks innumerable and grass luxuriant, gave scope for learning the mysteries of cricket’. In 1886 the school acquired the former County Cricket ground on St Clement’s Hill and a cricket pavilion was quickly built on the new pitch ‘because it was by no means pleasant to keep the cricket things in a cow-house and to be without shelter in the field’. It took a while for success to emerge but in 1889 the 1st XI won all of their matches. The former pupils cricket match originated in 1887 as part of the leaving party for George Turner, headmaster from 1880-1887. The match was later established as an annual tradition in 1891. The importance of enthusiastic teachers for the success of cricket teams was noted early on. Herbert Vinter, headmaster from 1890-1921 was an enthusiastic cricketer and also a keen supporter of cricket in the County. In the 1880s and 1890s ‘he was then in his very best form…[and] run getting was not an altogether unknown thing in the College Cricket’. Other factors for success in the early days were the school needing a ‘demon’ bowler or they would lose the match and there was sometimes a feeling that matches were won due to the leniency of stronger clubs rather than due to real merit. At this time the school was, however, often playing adult clubs because school teams were unavailable. In 1910 to celebrate his birthday Vinter was given a cricket shield by the school, which was used for a house competition, especially as ‘he regarded cricket as after all the best of English games’. The competition consisted of home and away matches played over several days during the summer. Tower house were the first holders of the shield. Cricket was only slightly interrupted by the outbreak of war in 1914 and in 1920 the school magazine declared that ‘King Cricket has once more made a triumphant entry upon the Field, for this is the first full cricket season we have had since 1911’. The Memorial Cricket Pavilion was unveiled in 1920, reflecting the enthusiasm for cricket before and after the war. During World War II cricket matches were more severely hindered, but did continue. The cricket field on St Clement’s Hill was dug up for food production, and the cricket square was fenced off to protect it. The Memorial Pavilion was requisitioned for special work in connection with air defence. The school magazine commented that a ‘lack of flannels and boots did not prevent cricket practices, and the House matches were played. But we were unable to secure many matches against teams from other schools…’ The school team included pupils from Kent College who had been evacuated to Truro. After the War an annual cricket match was established between Truro School and Kent College. At Treliske Prep School Tommy Stratton, the master-in-charge, did not want his cricket pitch dug up so potatoes were planted in the front lawn instead. Stratton took pride in his cricket ground was and a punishment for boys for minor infractions involved lifting 50 or 100 weeds by the roots out of the cricket pitch Bert Willday, Second Master from 1921-1960 was also a keen cricketer and coach. J Bedford Daniel recalled Willday’s dry sense of humour: ‘Daniel, laddie, one little thing to remember when fielding – always pick up the ball before you throw it’. The cricket pavilion was moved to its present position in 1948 when the old field was sold off (now part of Truro rugby club). In the 1970s a new cricket pavilion was built on the site when the old one was destroyed by fire. Since the 1990s there have been several County side players including Tom Sharp, Michael Munday and Charlie Shreck. The cricket team also gained there first girl player – Laura Harper ‘a lethal off-break bowler’ who progressed to the full England women’s team. Football Read moreFootball CloseHistory of Football at Truro School ‘Soccer’ was introduced in the late 1880s and slowly replaced rugby as the school sport; ‘football at this time was very much in need of an enthusiastic supporter… the new game had no slight struggle to oust the old from the field, and for some time the two were played on alternate days’. The first match was played against Falmouth, and the result ‘though an accident, was two goals to one in our favour’. It took a long time ‘before the team learnt to discard the mere brute force that had characterised their rugby play and adopted the science of the new game’. The rules were new to many which staff and pupils took some time to learn. Many were rugby players who became proficient in football. The school team included boys and masters because they played against non-school teams. The largest drawback at this time was ‘to change and trudge to the field, a process taking on the best calculations three quarters of an hour, does not seem worth while, with only twenty minutes play in view at the other end. In a recent match part of the game was played in darkness…’ In 1894 former pupil Joseph Perry, who had been capped by the school, gave a shield for an inter-form football competition. The first match between forms VI and V, was won by the VI form. It was later used for a house competition, when houses were introduced in 1904. The house competition was introduced to make it fairer for younger forms to compete, because the competition had always been won by VI or V forms. By 1900 rugby was long forgotten and football was increasingly popular and frequently played in the playground during free time. John Rosewarne recalled his first day at school in 1909 ‘The boys walked up the path, crossed the terrace and entered the school by the tower door or went around the corner of the school hall to the main playground. A small football affectionately known as the ‘pimple’ was provided. Just as I turned the corner I received my welcome to Truro College, an accidental one, a wet gravely pimple accidentally kicked full into my face …’. Rugby was reintroduced in 1930 and football was slowly took second place, although it remained popular at Treliske. A football report in the school magazine from March 1955 is reminiscent of reports of the school 1st XI teams decades earlier Penhaligon [David, later MP] was the outstanding player of the term and apart from the lethargic Burroughs and the lively but diminutive Kent, the only member of the team who had any ball control. Although goalkeeper Davies [aka John Rhys Davies, actor] showed a strange reluctance to use his hands, he was generally safe in his unorthodox way. Opie was a useful back and Pester a supreme trier, with the utmost determination, but as yet an inability to distribute the ball. Collins did some useful things but was generally slow to turn. Of the halves, Harvey impressed as a player who can see the value of first-time kicking in defence. Kent may one day be a very fine footballer. Bert Willday, the Sports’ Master until 1947 played centre-half and later goalkeeper for the school ‘club’ team. When he retired from the school in 1960 the school magazine noted that ‘his personal skill in games and his wise instruction laid the foundation for the high reputation for cricket and football that Truro School holds today in the Westcountry’. In the 1960s football was mostly played by lower years in the school. In 1980 as part of the school’s centenary celebration there was a football tour to London.
Rugby Union Read moreRugby Union CloseHistory of Rugby at Truro School Rugby was played in the early 1880s and practice was held at a field near the Lander Monument. The school magazine in the 1890s recalled that football was ‘enthusiastically played under the rugby rules. We had a capital team and it was the exception to be beaten, even though many of our opponents were men of no mean size or strength’. As with other team sports in the early years of the school the school team played adult club sides because of a lack of other school sides to play. In 1887 under a new headmaster, Thomas Jackson, football under Association rules took over although it was not until Mr Brown, a keen rugby enthusiast and County player, left that soccer became the regulation game. Vinter, who became headmaster in 1890, ‘made scornful comments about Rugger but very much approved of Soccer’. A former pupil recalled in 1892 that ‘…though I was in the 1st XV for about three years, and played in nearly all the matches, yet I do not remember playing in one which we won. Though I confess I sigh when I remember that the School has forsaken Rugby, in which it was once the first school in Cornwall, yet I am glad to find that the new game is played with such marked success’. By 1900 rugby was long forgotten and the school magazine included an instructive article on how to play it and compared it to football, preferring football by the end. Rugby was reintroduced in 1931 to give boys a wider choice and opportunity to find suitable sports. Participants quickly showed promise but speed and direction needed the most practice. However it was not long before the School Magazine was singing the praises of the new game: ‘by playing this game boys are taught to be kind to animals and grow into peace-loving Englishmen, because they discover what an awful thing is war. Besides, bull-fighting is illegal in England’. New playing fields were acquired to create adequate rugby pitches. Teams still included teachers because there was still a lack of local school clubs to play. In 1934 the first XV made there first ‘long distance’ away matches to schools in Devon because lack of school clubs in Cornwall. By 1941 the rugby team incorporated members of Kent College who had been evacuated to Truro School during the War. Away matches were restricted because of petrol rationing but matches were played against evacuated schools as well as Cornish schools. In 1948 John Kendall-Carpenter became first former pupil to gain a Varsity rugby blue and in 1951 a group of 21 boys went to Twickenham to watch him captain the England rugby team against France. Kendall-Carpenter later became President of the RFU and chaired the organising committee of the first Rugby World Cup. A competition was introduced in the 1990s in memory of John Kendall-Carpenter against Wellington College, where he had been headmaster; Truro won the first match 27-19. In 1952 rugby players from the school first attended the Sevens competition at Rosslyn Park, and got through to the last 16, though they were then beaten by Christ’s Hospital. Subsequent visits to Rossyln Park were less successful. During the 1950s there was also a rugby tour to Germany, playing against teams in Hanover and the school team won all 4 matches; ‘the most moving expression of international goodwill that anyone could experience’ as participants saw how Hanover had been rebuilt after the war. By the 1960s rugby’s popularity had increased and was played more than football. The rise in popularity and dominance was helped by Ken James ‘the embodiment of rugby at Truro School’ a keen rugby supporter and referee. During the 1960s Old Boys Association also had a close association with the London Cornish rugby club with several former pupils playing in the team. In 1974 a School U15 Seven-a-side team won the County championship; the final was held against Newquay School ‘the game itself wasn’t a classic by any means, partly because of nerves and partly because of the four week gap since the earlier rounds. However, a couple of powerful runs by Pryor and a fine dummying run by Floyd all resulted in tries and we had won this competition for the third time in the last four years’. In the 1990s there was an increased number of pupils playing in the County side or training for SW England XV. Since 2000 Tom Parker played for the England U18 XV, Tom Swingewood for the England U16 XV, and Jamie Tresidder and Will Thompson for the U18 England Presidents XV. Former pupil Rob Thirlby has played Premiership rugby for Bath, Saracens and Gloucester and has been a regular member of the England Sevens team since 2001. He toured South Africa with the full England squad in 2001 and was the leading try scorer in the World Sevens Series in 2006. Former Head of Rugby and Director of Sport, Graham Whitmore, became Head Coach of the England Under 18 Rugby team in 2005, and went on to win the European Championships twice and the Home Nations tournament. Mark Nicholas, former school rugby coach, was Head Coach of the England Under 16 ‘B’ squad in 2004. Sports Development Programme Read moreSports Development Programme CloseHistory of other sports at Truro School Tennis A racquet court was first built at the School in 1884. Thomas Jackson, headmaster 1887-1890, was enthusiastic for tennis and a new hard court was laid on the upper playground and a grass court on the field. As the terraces below the school were levelled over the years, they were often used for tennis courts. A new racquet court was opened in the 1930s, named Turner Court. During World War Two the tennis court at Treliske was dug up to grow potatoes. Fives Fives, similar to squash but played with padded gloves instead of a racquet, was popular in the late nineteenth century at the school. The Fives courts were where the School Chapel is now situated. Drill During the early decades of the school drill was part of weekly exercise, conducted by a sergeant attached to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. This was later used as a basis for the Cadet Corps during the First World War. During the 1920s a site for a private Rifle Range was secured and opened after permission from the War Office was obtained. The 1st Truro College scout troop was formed in 1927, followed by a cub troop in 1928. During the Second World War a joint Truro School and Kent College Air Training Corps was set up. The ATC successfully took part in athletics competitions against other units. In 1963 the Senior Scout group was disbanded to take up the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme instead. The first Gold expedition took place in 1964, the same year as the school first competed in the Ten Tors Challenge. Chess The first chess competitions at school were held among boarders to pass the time during winter evenings. The school chess team appear to have been quite successful during the 1950s and later in the 1980s and 1990s. During the 1980s school success was aided by Michael Adams who became a British and then International Grandmaster while still at school. Hockey In 1967 hockey was played for the first time when a prefects’ hockey team was established. It was increasingly played during the 1970s and included girls from the 6th form and played teams from Truro High School and Tremough. In 1974 hockey was introduced to Treliske. In 1981 the first all girl hockey team was put together but they only played one match, against the High School on a very cold wet day ‘spirits were dampened and lower extremities – i.e. feet! were found to be missing…’ The hockey team later went on tour to Zimbabwe, and the school team were seen by their hosts as ‘a full British representative side’ playing ‘test’ games. Golf In 1961 a golf society was formed by sixth formers and practises took place on school fields as well as at Truro Golf Club. The school team became national winners in 1993. Sailing In the 1960s a sailing club was established on River Fal with teacher Peter Lang as Commodore of the club. In 1968 a school team took part in the Public Schools Firefly Championships at Itchenor, where the first Firefly was built. In the first race the team finished 2nd behind the eventual winners, Sevenoaks School. They were 9th by end of second day and finished eventually in 13th place. In 1989 Ben Ainslie won a place in the British squad after coming 5th in national trials in Leicestershire and David Lenz was selected to represent Great Britain in the International Optimist Championships in Japan. Skiing The first skiing trip to Swiss Alps took place in the 1960s and included ‘ski-borne aerobatics’ by one boy which resulted in a broken leg, and on the return from a visit to Lichtenstein the tour group was almost shot at by Swiss Army at the frontier, and sworn at by Italian workmen who were widening the road, who ‘we gathered … do not enjoy being called ‘tagliatelli’ etc.’ Since the 1970s many new sports have been introduced. Badminton was introduced after girls were admitted to the sixth form for the first time in 1976, despite there being no court until the new hall was built. In the 1980s new sports included judo, basketball, archery and eventing at which Anna Barrington represented Great Britain in the Junior European Championship. In the 1990s, as the school went fully co-educational, ballet, water polo, show jumping, surfing were introduced. There have also been an increased number of sports tours including rugby teams going to South Africa and Canada. Swimming Read moreSwimming CloseHistory of Swimming at Truro School Initially the town baths in Truro were used for school swimming, and its popularity led to the formation of a school swimming club. Races and diving competitions were often held among the club and against local schools. Pupils from the school also used the Fal river for swimming. In 1939 a bathing pavilion was opened at Loe Beach for swimming practise and the annual swimming gala. Swimming at Loe Beach was re-established in 1950 after the war. During the war and the late 1940s swimming was held at Malpas or in the City baths because the pavilion was appropriated by the local Home Guard during the war as a sleeping place and guardroom. An open-air swimming pool was opened at the school in May 1954 and the swimming galas resumed; ‘the early events passed quite pleasantly, the connoisseurs were much intrigued by a certain Wickett competitor’s Right Arm only stroke, and by the goggles and bathing caps affected by the swimmers’. Swimming was now more accessible and life-saving courses were possible. Treliske also had its own open-air pool at a similar time. Olympic Swimmer, Nick Gillingham, opened the indoor swimming pool in 1996, which replaced the old open-air pool. |