En Garde for Greatness in National and International Arenas

RGS fencers have been demonstrating their skills and dedication on both national and international stages.

On Sunday 13 October, Issy Pottinger represented Great Britain in her first Cadet International tournament in Budapest, Hungary, as part of the GB Under 17 squad. This prestigious event brought together 337 fencers from 35 countries, including the USA, Hong Kong, and Canada. Issy showed remarkable composure, winning three of her six pool fights and securing a 177th seed position, advancing past the 30% cut. She progressed to the incomplete 512, receiving a bye into the 256. In a close match against Turkey’s No. 80 seed, Issy narrowly lost 15-14, finishing in 185th place and ranking as the 9th best British fencer in the tournament. This achievement places her 18th on the GBR Under 17 ranking list.

At the Heart of England Foil tournament at Warwick School, Frederick Firth took his first steps into competitive Fencing. Competing in the Under 14 Boys’ event, Frederick faced experienced opponents in a field of 33 fencers from across the UK. Despite being new to competition, Frederick maintained a positive attitude and gained invaluable experience, showing a fantastic enthusiasm for the sport.

Emily De Bono travelled to London on Saturday, 19 November, for the Elite Épée Age Group competition. Competing in the Under 14 Girls’ category, an event recognised in the England Under 14 ranking circuit, Emily displayed exceptional skill. She won four of her pool fights, earning a 9th seed position and a bye through the round of 32. Emily went on to defeat the No. 8 seed 12-10 before an intense match with the top seed, ending in a narrow 12-11 loss in the quarter finals. Emily’s outstanding 6th place finish is especially impressive, considering she has two more years in this age group.

In additional team news, Joseph Kington and Issy Pottinger have been selected to represent the West Midlands Under 18 Team at the Cadet Winton Cup in December. This two-day inter-regional event will be held at Bromsgrove School, showcasing top talent from across the regions.

Issy’s recent success continued over the weekend in Klagenfurt, Austria, where she competed again for Great Britain. In another strong performance, she advanced past the pool stage and narrowly missed her direct elimination fight, losing by just one point at 14-15. Issy is one of only eight GB cadet girls to place in the top 70% at both Budapest and Klagenfurt, an impressive feat considering these were her first two international competitions. She also competed as part of GB Team 3, facing a challenging match against Italy’s top team. Issy has now been selected to compete in her third European competition, this time in Grenoble on 23 November.

We are incredibly proud of Issy, Frederick, Emily, and Joseph for their outstanding achievements. Competing at both national and international levels, they have represented RGS Worcester and Great Britain with distinction. Congratulations to each of them on their hard work, resilience, and impressive performances. We look forward to seeing their continued success in the future!