Elizabethan boys secure silver in national finals

Elizabethan High School with Nathan Robertson and Rhys Walker (L-R) Bailey Hurt (15) Matthew Curtis (15), Edward Thorpe (15), Sam Harrison (16), Robbie Collingburn (15), Jo Barnes (team manager)

The Championship, which took place at Center Parcs Sherwood Forest, saw eight schools from across the country compete in a round robin format.

Elizabethan, defending their title they won last year, couldn’t do quite enough in the final match to beat Stantonbury Campus Boys School, the eventual champions in the years 10/11 boys’ category.

The team, made up of Robbie Collingburn, Matthew Curtis, Sam Harrison, Bailey Hurt and Edward Thorpe, had come through three rounds of local, county and regional on court competition.

Their silver medals were awarded by 2004 Olympic badminton silver medallist, and 2006 world champion, Nathan Robertson and U19 Team England player Rhys Walker.

Fifteen-year-old Thorpe praised his team-mates, saying: “We’ve had a great experience but obviously we are bit gutted today to come second.”

“We’ve all played really well and it was a tough fight getting here. We were just unlucky to lose in the final.”