Worthing students get British Colleges call

The academy could have up to eight students representing their country this season, after being picked for the British Colleges’ selection process.

The British training camps will take place over the next few weekends.

Dec Peake, Brad Parker and Charlie Watts from the rugby performance programme have been selected after impressing during their two trial matches, where they were all a major part of victories against the South West and the Midlands.

Rugby coach Ben Coulson said: “These students, along with Elliott Luke and Pat White, who just missed out, represented themselves and the college impeccably and this should be something that the squad as a whole should take on as a great success to aid their own development.”

Coulson also singled out special praise for White, even though he just missed out, and said: “Pat is relatively new to rugby as he only took the game up in year 11.

“Even though he just missed out, this shows Pat has worked extremely hard to take advantage of the fantastic opportunity he has at the sports performance programme and combined this with a natural talent to become a promising rugby player.”

In addition to the three rugby players, footballers Lucy Somes, Darcey James and Danielle Lane, netball player Mele Jackson and hockey player Ellis Woolley have also made it to this stage.

Performance programme co-ordinator Tina Price said: “These individual successes should be celebrated by all programme members and the college as a whole.”

Netball coach Price was also extremely pleased with her team’s consistent performance levels throughout the National Schools tournament victory at Roedean.

Worthing College qualified as the top team in Sussex, with Hurstpierpoint College runners-up, and both sides will represent the county in the regional round at The G4S Netball Centre in East Grinstead on January 28.

Price said: “All the girls played their part across the whole day and it was great to see them all perform both individually and as a team, especially as the windy conditions were not ideal for free-flowing netball.

“All players in the performance programme have worked hard to develop their performance technically, tactically and mentally.

“This is really bearing fruit at a local, regional and, hopefully, national level, which is something all of the girls in the programme should be proud of.”

Starting off against one of the favourites to progress, Hurstpierpoint College, Worthing tore up the form book to win 6-2.

They then went from strength to strength by beating the hosts Roedean 13-1, Collyers 9-1, BHASVIC 3-2, Ardingly College 2-1, St Bedes 3-1, Imberhorne of East Grinstead 3-0, Mayfield 10-2 and finally Brighton College 5-4.

These set of results are even more impressive as Worthing were only behind once all day, which was in the last match against Brighton College.