Our competitive sports is where local/regional level performance and competition takes place. Within these sports, the College will support and develop individuals who may participate at a higher (national and above) level.
Cricket:
A major sport in the Summer Term is boys cricket, and girls are also offered the opportunity to play. All pupils are selected on their merit, and will often be in the same teams together.
Fixtures against other schools are played on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The first XI also has the opportunity to test themselves against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), South Oxfordshire Amateurs and the Old Pangbournians XI on Founders’ Day.
The College is home to over a dozen cricket coaches, many of whom are England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) qualified and have played at a high level.
Football:
Boys and girls can represent the College in competitive football in the Lent Term, instead of rowing. This is offered to all girls from year 7 upwards, and for boys in year 9 upwards. We run 2 teams per year group, and 3 senior (yr11 and 6th form) girls teams, and 4 or 5 senior boys teams.
The introduction of football to the girls is new in 2025 and has been popularly received. We offer one of the most comprehensive girls football programmes in the area. The boys programme was introduced in 2022 and has grown to have 9 teams in the subsequent time.
Boys in Year 7 and 8 play football in the Michaelmas Term, and have an opportunity to represent the College for the first time in a team sport against other local schools.
Tennis:
Pupils play tennis in the Summer Term, and a full fixture card against other schools is offered. Boys and girls can select Tennis as their main sport for the Summer Term.
Coaches include an LTA professional who offers year-round lessons for pupils on either an individual basis or in pairs, alongside an enthusiastic band of coaches. Pangbourne has nine astro courts and five outdoor courts to play tennis on. Each year, 10-20 pupils are able to attend a trip to Wimbledon to further inspire their passion for the sport.
Our recreational sports are generally non-competitive, with the opportunity for ad-hoc friendly local fixtures.
Netball:
Netball is played in the Summer Term as a recreational spot. This consists of coaching, and internal fixtures.
Our three new, relayed hard courts, two outdoor junior courts and one indoor court in the Sports Hall provide ideal locations for playing.
Athletics:
Pupils participate in athletics during the Summer Term, with the aim to build core skills that will benefit them across other sports. It combines strength and conditioning sessions with track and field events on our 400-metre grass running track. Throughout this option, safe weightlifting is taught with qualified coaches.
The programme consists of competitions on Saturday afternoons against other local schools, and the highlight of the athletic calendar is the Inter-Divisional Athletics Competition in which the whole College participates. Our performance pathway athletes are entered into West Berkshire School Championships, and many have gone on to represent West Berkshire in the Berkshire School Championships.
Golf:
Golf is open to all students who already play the sport and have a handicap, with the aim of improving their skills and reducing their handicap.
We regularly play against the Old Pangbournian team, and take part in a competition at Sandford Springs where our best golfer wins the Whitmore Trophy. Keen golfers visit Calcot Park Golf Club several times a week.
Swimming:
In the Summer Term, pupils participate in swimming as a sport option to improve their fitness, technique, or train for competition. We are very fortunate to have a recently refurbished outdoor heated swimming pool.
Once a week, pupils in Year 7 and 8 have an afternoon of swimming where they learn basic techniques, and pupils in Year 9 and 10 can choose to do swimming alongside their main sport and enter a gala. Year 11 and Sixth Form can choose swimming as their main sport in the Summer Term, giving them the opportunity to train four times a week and enter galas against other schools. An Inter-Divisional swimming gala is held every year at Pangbourne - a highlight of the Summer Term.
