Outstanding National Results for RGS Fencers

The past fortnight has seen another excellent series of performances from RGS Worcester fencers as they tested themselves at national level in a range of highly competitive events.

At the Cadet and Junior National Championships held at the University of Nottingham, Issy Pottinger, Emily De Bono and Henry De Bono all represented the School with distinction. Issy fenced strongly in the Cadet Women’s Épée, progressing to the quarter-finals before being knocked out by the number one seed to secure a fine 8th place finish. Emily, also fencing in the Cadet category, produced some strong pool results before finishing 34th, while Henry reached the round of 16 in the Cadet Men’s Épée and claimed 12th place overall.

The following day saw all three step into different age categories, with Henry competing in the Juniors until forced to withdraw with a knee injury, and Issy gaining valuable experience to climb five places in the national Junior rankings. Emily enjoyed a superb run in the Under 14 event, claiming a Bronze medal after defeating the number two seed in the quarter-finals and losing only narrowly in the semi-final. Their achievements see Henry move into the top 10 nationally in the Cadet Boys’ rankings, with Issy also inside the top 10 for the Cadet Girls, and Emily sitting in an impressive 2nd place in the Girls’ Under 14s.

The following weekend, attention turned the British Ranking Circuit (BRC) Épée competitions held at Rugby School. Henry once again impressed, reaching the final of the Cadet Men’s Épée and finishing in 2nd place after a series of commanding victories. In the Cadet Women’s Épée, Issy and Emily both fenced well in large fields, placing 9th and 11th respectively. Emily then returned to the piste later in the day for the Under 14 event, where she produced an outstanding display of determination, defeating a series of higher seeds in the knockout rounds and ultimately claiming 1st place. To round off the weekend, Sixth Form student Joseph Kington competed in the Adult Men’s Épée, where he secured 9th place after a strong start in the pools.

Most recently, Henry travelled to London for the British Under 23 Championships. Competing two age groups up, he fenced impressively through the pools to qualify for the direct elimination stages and finished 19th overall – an excellent achievement in a senior national competition.

We congratulate Issy, Emily, Henry and Joseph on their recent performances and look forward to following their progress across the season.