NETBALLERS from King Edward VI School in Stratford have scored their first national title.
The Netball 1st VII were crowned National U19 Bowl Champions 2026 in the SistersNSport U19 Championship.
Having beaten Bishop Burton College in the quarter-finals in early March, the team travelled to Loughborough University to compete in the finals day of the SistersNSport Bowl where they met St John’s Leatherhead in the semi-finals.
After a tightly contested match, KES secured a 23- 21 victory to book their place in the final.
In the downtime between matches, the team were taken on a guided tour of the university campus, including their impressive sporting facilities.
The final, against Guildford High School, was another close affair but an impressive third quarter gave the girls a commanding six-point lead going into the final seven minutes. Dominant performances from Emily Hartnett, Tami Odutola and captain and eventual player of the match, Bea Burman led the side to a 21-17 win.
Headmaster Bennet Carr, who was courtside to support the team, said: “Having seen them fall at the final hurdle in the county tournament in each of the last two years, it was a real privilege to be at Loughborough University to see our netballers claim
their first national title.
“The triumph is a wonderful finale for our retiring head of netball, Nicki Dargan, who was appointed when our Sixth Form became co-educational in 2013 and who has since overseen the remarkable growth and success of the sport at the school.”
