Little League Report – Round 8
This weekend’s sport saw a wide range of results, with standout performances across rugby and football. Unfortunately, tennis was rained out. The Year 3 and 4 football teams continued to impress with strong wins and fluent play, while older teams faced tough opposition and showed great resilience.
A special highlight of the week was welcoming Welsh and British & Irish Lions rugby legend Leigh Halfpenny, who gave a goal-kicking masterclass to our kickers and shared his knowledge with our Year 3 and 4 Cranbrook students during training. I was an unforgettable experience for our young players.
With 2 rounds left of winter sport, let’s stay focused and energised so we end the season
on a high note.
Yours in sport,
Mr James Roughan
Head of Sport and PDHPE – JS
Year 4 Rugby Photos
Rugby
Year 6A
Cranbrook 7–33 Shore
Cranbrook made a bright start to this fixture, despite being without several players due to illness and injury. The forwards fronted up well, and their effort was rewarded when Hadley S sniped over from the back of a scrum. The match remained close for a time, but Shore capitalised on their pace out wide and gaps left by players out of position. Their quick ball movement punished Cranbrook repeatedly. Despite the scoreline, the team looks forward to welcoming back four first-team players for next weekend’s match.
Year 5A
The Year 5s did well to hold out a tough St Augustine’s A side, defending for long periods before eventually conceding. However, they bounced back in the second fixture, putting on a brilliant display of running rugby led by Wills, Ben, and Eric, scoring four tries in just ten minutes.
Koola Park – Rugby 7s
Each year group participated in the Rugby 7s at Koola Park, with the day beginning under clearing skies. The Year 3 teams kicked off the morning with some entertaining rugby, showing great improvement in their catch-and-pass accuracy and attacking awareness. The Year 4, 5, and 6 teams all followed up with strong performances in competitive matches. Early tries and confident defence helped shake off any rust from the holidays. Year 4 will return to their 12-a-side fixtures for the remainder of the season.
Peter Dumbleton
Head of Rugby
Football
6A – 1-0
The Cranbrook 6A Team returned to the 2nd half of the season after their well-earned school holidays to cold morning of a Queens Park football field facing a strong team from Waverley College. Much of the first half spent trying to find a goa, after a concerted effort from 6A’s attacking players came to the fruition, a goal was scored from Lucas S. The rest of match contested with Waverley also trying to score against the 6A Team. Thanks to the substitute goalkeeper Will W, ultimately 6A Team kept the score sheet clean for the Round 8 fixture.
6B 1-1
It wasn’t an easy match against somewhat readied Waverley side eager to have a win against the Cranbrook 6B Team. The 6B’s were looking for a way to score during the first half with no luck. The 2nd half looked more promising, yet unnerving with a goal from Waverley. An equaliser from 6B came later and the match eventually came to an end with no additional goals from both sides. The Cranbrook 6B returning to Dangar in the next round with much to consider.
6C – 0-4 Loss
The 6Cs had a shaky start, going down 0-1 early. Some steady improvement through the first half gave Cranbrook momentum, but a second goal just before the break put us behind 0-2 at halftime. The team responded well with a much more even second half, though two late Waverley goals sealed a 0-4 result that didn’t reflect the overall effort.
6D – 1-4 Loss
The 6Ds spent much of the match pinned in their own half, with Waverley taking a 3-0 lead into the break. Cranbrook responded with energy in the second half, scoringa quality goal to make it 1-3. Despite a spirited lift, Waverley found the net once more to seal the result.
5A – 0-3 Loss
A tough, end-to-end contest where Cranbrook gave maximum effort but couldn’t find the breakthrough. The opposition took their chances well, and while the scoreline was slightly flattering, they probably deserved the win. Teddy B was a standout in midfield, working tirelessly on both sides of the ball.
5B – 1-0 Win
Cranbrook had the majority of possession and were unlucky not to score more in a scrappy match. The winning goal came from a fortunate rebound that Otto capitalised on. With several students stepping into unfamiliar positions due to low numbers, the team showed great flexibility and teamwork. Special mentions to Ned and Harry, who each played a half in goal and did superbly.
5C – 3-0 Win
A dominant display from the 5Cs, playing some of their best football of the season. Goals came from Marcus, Archie, and Heiji, with sharp ball movement and confident build-up play. Ted was rock solid in defence.
5D – 0-0 Draw
Cranbrook brought great energy to this match, pressing hard and creating chances throughout. While they couldn’t find a goal, they defended with focus and composure. Henry was exceptional at the back being calm, brave, and reliable when it counted. A well-earned clean sheet.
4A – 9-1 Win
An outstanding all-round performance from the 4As. Crisp passing from the back, fluid midfield play, and attacking flair defined the match. Jed delivered multiple assists, Hugo was flawless at wingback, and Freddy capped it off with a spectacular top-corner strike.
4C – 1-1 Draw
Cranbrook scored early through Edwin but were forced to defend heroically for most of the match. After seven point-blank saves to preserve the lead, Redlands equalised with the final kick of the game. A thrilling contest with a fantastic atmosphere.
4E – 5-1 Win
A commanding performance from the 4Es, who controlled the game from start to finish. Ed was everywhere and earned Player of the Match honours. Nikolas and Jasper also worked hard throughout in support of a polished team display.
3A – 6-2 Win
Despite missing key players Noah and Hamish, the 3As put together a composed and impressive display. Excellent passing and sharp finishing saw Cranbrook score six. Hugo stood out on debut for the As, showing composure and skill.
3B – 5-0 Win
A dominant performance from the 3Bs, with Will scoring a hat-trick and Ollie adding two more in a confident team display.
3C – 5-0 Win
Goals came from Oscar, Oli, Xavier, Jake, and Adrian. Jake’s left-footed long-range goal was a standout moment and a true highlight.
3D – 4-1 Win
A fantastic team effort from the 3Ds. Liam opened the scoring with a composed finish, his first of the season, while Angus was on fire with a hat-trick, including a brilliant solo run past multiple defenders.
Ben Rollison
Head of Football
Multi-Sport
Round 8 was a focused and high-energy session for the Multi-Sport team. The warm-up featured a competitive game of Strike Out, setting the tone for a fun and active morning. In Numbers Soccer, students applied their striking and target skills in gameplay. Congratulations to Ben M, who had a fantastic start to the program, showing outstanding teamwork, skill, and consistent effort throughout the session.
Josh Cohen
Assistant Head of Sport and Multi-sport Coach