Strong Performances Across the Piste for RGS Fencers

It has been a busy and successful few weeks for RGS fencers, who have continued to impress at national and regional competitions.

At the prestigious ‘Elite Épée’ British Ranking Circuit (BRC) events in Moulton, both Issy Pottinger and Emily De Bono put in commendable performances. Issy, still an Under 17 fencer, competed in the Under 20 category and showed great determination, winning five pool fights across two rounds and progressing through the last 64 with a confident 15-10 victory. She eventually finished a very respectable 25th place, an excellent result against older and more experienced opposition.

Emily took part in the Under 14 BRC competition the following day and had an outstanding run. After winning three of her five bouts in each of the two pool rounds, she entered the elimination rounds seeded seventh. A bye in the last 32 was followed by a nail-biting 6-5 win in the last 16 and she went on to defeat the second and third seeds in hard-fought matches. The final was a thrilling contest, with Emily narrowly missing out in extra time, 12-11, to claim a well-earned second place. This was Emily’s second silver medal of the month. On 7 June, she took silver in the Under 13 Women’s Épée’ at the England Youth Championships in Hatfield, confirming her consistency and skill across both age groups.

More recently, both fencers travelled to the Leon Paul Centre in London for the Cadet (Under 17) national ranking competition. Emily, competing in her first ranking event, showed promise, securing three victories in the pools and finishing 20th out of 47. Issy placed 19th in the main competition and went on to win all her matches in the plate event. Emily also took part in the plate, finishing ninth.

Closer to home, several of our fencers competed in the Bromsgrove Prep Épée competition. Emily continued her run of strong results, taking second place in the top age group. She was joined on the podium by Sam Booth in third, while Owura-Yaw Quashie and Noah Morgan finished fifth and ninth respectively. Issy supported the event in a refereeing capacity, further contributing to the fencing community.

Most recently, our fencers travelled to the England Institute of Sport in Sheffield for the British Open Championships. Emily fenced in the Under 14 Girls’ Épée’ on Saturday, and Issy competed in the Senior Women’s event on Sunday. Emily had a mixed performance in the pools, winning three of her six fights, which seeded her tenth. She made the most of her direct elimination rounds, battling through a tense 12-11 win in the last 16 and delivering a strong 12-7 victory against the number two seed in the quarter-finals. Her run ended in the semi-finals with a 12-6 defeat, securing a well-earned bronze medal and a third-place finish.

Following this result, Emily now sits second in the national Under 14 Girls’ Epee rankings, having briefly held the top spot, a remarkable achievement in a season that has also seen her earn silver medals at both the Moulton British Ranking Competition and the England Youth Championships.

In the Senior Women’s competition, Issy faced a highly competitive field. She managed two wins in her pool against experienced adult fencers but narrowly missed the 30% cut required to progress, finishing 87th out of 117 competitors, a brave and valuable experience at senior level.

Congratulations to all our fencers on their continued progress and achievements.