A Sheffield school is celebrating one of its most successful sporting years ever with six teams through to the annual Rotherham Schools Sports Finals.
Aston Academy, in Aughton Road, will be represented in four girls’ netball finals by students from years 8, 9, 10 and post-16. The Year 9 and Year 11 boys’ football teams will also fly the flag for the secondary school in the competition, which takes place at Wickersley School on Saturday, April 6.
Ellie Cowley, captain of the Year 10 girls’ netball team, is hoping her team can make it a hat-trick of title wins. It is the fourth time that the girls have made it through to the finals where they finished as runners-up in 2016 before going one better in 2017 and 2018.
The Year 8 girls’ netball team go into the finals full of confidence, having won all their qualifying matches. Their biggest wins to date include an 8-0 success over Maltby and a 6-1 defeat of Winterhill.
“We are so excited about reaching the finals this year,” said captain Chantelle Makufa, “we missed out narrowly last year and will give it our best shot this time around.”
It will also be a huge occasion for the Year 9 boys’ football team, who won the competition in 2017 and 2018.
Meanwhile, the Year 11 boys – champions in 2016 – will aim to go one better than the last two years, where they’ve finished as runners-up.
James Clarke, head of PE at Aston Academy, said: “It has been a fantastic year for our sporting stars here at Aston Academy. We’ve been well represented in a variety of sport – from netball to football, athletics to rugby, cross-country to cricket out of school.
“We held a showcase event back in November, an all-female event, promoting positive body image in teenagers. It was inspired by Sport England’s #ThisGirlCan campaign and championed our talented girls at Aston Academy.
“We also welcomed a hundred girls from local special schools to take part in a variety of sports from wheelchair basketball to yoga, proving that sport can be inclusive.
“We are very proud of the hard work and commitment of all our students and are confident of success in the Rotherham Schools finals.”
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