SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS AT STRATHALLAN

The Usa Beckons For Three Strathallan Pupils

Orla F (LV1) will swap Strathallan School for St Charles, Missouri this summer as she heads to Lindenwood University on a Hockey and Academic Scholarship.

Orla, who has been playing hockey since she was 10 years old, said, “I still can’t believe I got the dual scholarship. Hockey is really developing in the States and Lindenwood recently moved up to Division 1 so I can’t wait to join an ambitious team that’s going places.”

Orla, who has played for the 1st X1 side for four years helping them achieve national success in both the Indoor and Outdoor championships, will join her older sister, Strathallian Izzy out in Missouri as the pair get set to play for the same side again.

UV1 Katie B’s tennis journey will continue post-Strathallan at Emory and Henry College in southwest Virginia. She is delighted to have received an offer to join their tennis team, the Wasps, and study psychology, saying, “College tennis in North America is on a whole other level, it’s a great opportunity to continue to play matches and grow in the game. I can’t wait to get out there and see where it takes me.” Based in the Appalachian Highlands, Emory & Henry College was founded in 1836. With a 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio, it is consistently ranked among the best private liberal art institutions in the United States.

Captain of School Charlotte G heads to Massachusetts as she becomes the first pupil from Strathallan to be recruited to the Harvard Women’s Rugby Team. The 17-year-old from Swanage in Dorset, will join the ranks of the oldest rugby club in North America when she starts the next chapter of her education at the Ivy League institution. Charlotte, who first picked up a rugby ball when she was 8 years old, said it felt surreal to be recruited for the prestigious team.

“I’m so excited to rise to the new challenge, they play a different brand of rugby in the United States so I can’t wait to head out there and get started.”

Charlotte, who was selected for the U18 Futures Scottish Rugby Squad in 2019, has balanced her love of sports with her interests in engineering and sailing. She recently helped secure two School National Championships in goal for Strathallan 1st XI Hockey squad and has helped guide more girls into rugby and the Combined Cadet Force as the Captain of Girls Rugby and Head of the Navy Section respectively.

With Clay target shooting becoming one of Scotland’s fastestgrowing sports, Strathallan has launched it Clay Shooting Academy with members benefiting from a specially designed programme of coaching focusing on the practical element of shooting, as well as competition preparation.

The school has a proud shooting tradition going back many years and is the only one in Scotland to have its own purposebuilt Compact Sporting clay target shooting facility boasting nine fully automated radio-controlled traps.

Several alumni have gone on to represent Scotland at the World Championships including Polly Lightbody, Class of 2017, who represented the Scottish Ladies Team at the CPSA World Clay Pigeon Championships.

Over the past twelve years, Strathallan has been consistently placed in the top four at the British Schools’ Championships as well as pre-COVID-19 winning the Scottish Schools’ Clay Pigeon Championships 13 times in the last 15 years. And since its inception three years ago, it has won the renowned Holland & Holland British Independent Schools Competition once and been runners-up twice.

Current Girls Captain, Louis Acton said “it’s been great to see the number of girls who shoot increase and continue to grow. In the academy we all share a passion for the sport and whether you shoot regularly or have never shot before, it is a fantastic sport to get involved with.”

Current Strathallan pupils Angus Turnbull, 17 and Ali Turnbull 14 are already making a name for themselves in the shooting world. In 2021, Angus represented Scotland at the Sporting Home International in Dundee, helping the Scottish junior team secure third place and both him and his brother Ali have represented Scotland and the school at the World Championship Junior (U21) competition. Angus has also been recently named High Gun at the Holland and Holland Independent Schools’ Clay Pigeon Championships after scoring an impressive 75/80 as well as winning the Individual under-18 category and the Continuation Shoot at the Amulree & Trochry Clay Shoot. Ali, who was named Colts World Champion in 2021, also won Bronze in the Colts World Sports Trap and came top in the ‘C Class’ Overall World Title against guns of all ages. An amazing achievement for a 14-year-old shooting against adults in the same class.

Angus Turnbull

Strathallan Shooting Academy & Scotland Junior Team (World Championships & Home Internationals)

taking your rugby from prep to pro

Strathallan recently launched its new Rugby Academy. With over 40+ international age-grade players, 11 full-time professionals and 6 full Internationalists supported by expert coaches at Strathallan over the last 10 years, the Strathallan Rugby Academy aims to draw out excellence in talented young players through a focused programme. Selected players are supported by physiotherapy, nutrition, psychology, strength and conditioning, post-game analysis, expert coaching and focused feedback.

Andy Henderson, Strathallan School Director of Rugby said “Through our intensive programme of training, teaching and coaching, and access to some of the best facilities in Scotland, the Academy will provide a high-quality player experience.

We recognise that a player’s journey is specific to them, and the framework of the programme takes this into account. We aim to guide players through a systematic approach, giving them the opportunity to practice and develop their skills and reach their potential in a safe and supportive environment. We want our players to be part of our Rugby family and nurture their talent and ability.”

One of the current products of the Academy is 18-year-old tighthead prop, Callum Norrie, who came off the bench for the Scotland under-20 squad in the Stadio Comunale Di Monigo in Treviso in March this year and was the only member of Scotland’s matchday 23 still at school.

Since joining Strathallan Callum has focused on trying to be the best person and player he can be and is always looking for ways to improve.

Calum said “It was definitely the right move for me [to move schools to Strathallan a few years ago] as I’ve been able to access a high level of rugby week in and week out while there are some great coaches at the school and I have been able to tap into their knowledge.”

Callum has not had to look far for inspiration over the last few years as he has transitioned from a second-row into a tighthead because current Scotland number three Zander Fagerson — a British & Irish Lion — was, of course, a pupil at Strathallan previously. “Zander has been a real role model to me since I moved to tighthead and he is someone who I really look up to,” making a splash in the pool

Ed Kalman, who earned two caps for the national team in 2012 and served Glasgow Warriors superbly for many years, is now a teacher at Strathallan.

Then when you throw into the mix the fact that the likes of Jamie Ritchie, Matt Fagerson, George Horne, Murray McCallum, Ollie Smith and others also have connections to school then Norrie has plenty of good examples to look up to.

Strathallan School swimmer Evan Davidson and Strathallan’s Head of Swimming, Elaine Johnston were both selected to represent Great Britain at the 2022 European Youth Olympic Festival this summer.

The Perthshire-based pair joined the 16-strong Junior squad that headed out to Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, with Elaine helping coach the team and Evan competing in his first international debut.

At 15 years old, Evan is one of the youngest swimmers selected for the squad. His selection to the team follows a number of incredible swims for his age-group including his performance in the Junior 400 IM final at the British Championships in April.

This year alone, Evan was named Scottish Junior Champion in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 Butterfly and 50 Breaststroke at the recent Scottish National Open Swimming Championships. He won 11 medals, 9 of which were Gold at the Scottish National Age Group Championships in April, and broke 2 District Age-Group records at the Midland District Championships in November 2021, records previously held by former Strathallan students Joe Lipworth and Scott MacLay.

Elaine, who competed for Great Britain herself in 1986 at the Commonwealth Games before becoming a swim coach, said she was thrilled to get the opportunity to support Evan and the other 15 young British swimmers in Slovakia.

Evan, who learn to swim when he was three months old, joined Strathallan in 2020 as a Swimming Scholar under Elaine’s guidance and he looks to follow in the wake of former Strathallan student and Scotland’s most decorated Olympian, Duncan Scott, as he starts to make a name for himself in the world of swimming.

Elaine Johnston