badminton
Badminton is a popular sport for boys and girls in the Upper School. It is also available as a Lower School activity and is open to all on Saturdays. Our sports hall has five courts and keen players of all abilities greatly enjoy their games time. Inter-house competitions and fixtures against other schools take place periodically.
BASKETBALL
Basketball is a popular and growing sport at Eastbourne College. It is offered across all three terms with each year group having at least two sessions per week. Senior pupils fulfil an extensive fixture programme in the Michaelmas and Lent terms. We play in a Sussex independent schools league and arrange friendlies with higher-standard opposition in the state sector. Each year we enter the Basketball England Dynamik National Schools Competition. In MT22, we made it beyond the regional round of this competition. We have links with Eastbourne Neptunes Basketball Club and the coaching set-up at the University of Sussex.
The programme is developing with the introduction of individual tuition with our professional coaches, Ian Berry and Martin Catterick. In LT22, we launched basketball at our feeder prep school, St Andrew’s. The numbers playing the sport here are strong giving it a firm foundation within the charity. We have also partnered with the Coastal Schools Partnership to run regular Saturday sessions for pupils from local state schools.
Coaching:
Ian Berry (Head coach): Level 2 qualified coach with professional playing experience. Previous coaching includes school, local league, university & national league (senior & junior).
Martin Catterick (Assistant coach): Level 2 qualified coach with experience across a variety of levels from school basketball to elite coaching at South East England and university level. Martin also supports in the development of basketball at St Andrew’s Prep.
Pete James (Assistant coach): Level 1 qualified coach with experience across various ages of school basketball. Pete runs our Saturday programme and the Coastal Schools Partnership pupil premium initiative. He also supports in the development of basketball at St Andrew’s Prep. He will shortly be embarking on a Level 2 coaching qualification.
Cross Country
Cross country makes use of the wonderful surrounding countryside to introduce new runners to the sport as well as catering for serious athletes who seek to compete at county or national level.
In the Michaelmas term, the whole school takes part in the annual steeplechase event which allows all boys and girls to compete for their house. Two local clubs (Bodyworks XTC and Eastbourne Rovers) are close to the College and pupils are encouraged to join so that they can access coaching and support for some highly specialised events. Particular successes have included individual as well as team wins at the Sussex cross county championships and the English Schools national finals.
Recent Successes
George Pool won the U17 county championship and ran the fastest leg in the U17 South of England road relays (2019)
Edward Armitage qualified and competed at English schools national finals (2017)
Eighth at English schools national finals (U15) (2017)
Inter boys won a bronze medal at the Sussex championships (2017)
EQUESTRIAN
Our vision for the equestrian teams at Eastbourne College and St Andrew’s Prep is simple: for our riders to train, compete, and enjoy the sport together in a supportive and inspiring environment.
We are fortunate to work with Sam Champnney-Warrener, an exceptionally experienced instructor based at her private yard just 20 minutes from the College. Sam offers expert tuition and guidance to our pupils, drawing on her extensive qualifications as a BHS Stage 5 Performance Coach in Complete Horsemanship (formerly BHSI), a British Eventing Accredited Coach, and a UKCC Level 3 Coach.
Sam has successfully produced and competed horses up to Advanced level in Eventing, and has also achieved success in pure Dressage and Show Jumping. Her yard operates as a livery yard, providing boarding options for pupils who wish to keep their own pony or horse—whether they are day pupils or boarders.
Our equestrian teams compete at various levels within the National Schools Equestrian Association (NSEA), regularly travelling to local competitions at Golden Cross, Felbridge, and Hickstead.
Recent highlights include a fantastic 3rd place finish at the Grassroots National Finals at Hickstead in Summer 2025, with notable individual success, including 6th place in the 60cm finals. We also celebrated outstanding individual achievements at the Sunshine Tour Championships, highlighted by a win in the Supreme Junior Championship. In addition, we are proud to be the 2025 East Sussex 70cm Individual and Team County Champions (NSEA).
Looking ahead, we’re proud to have qualified for the NSEA National Finals at Addington in October 2025, and we continue to support our riders in training, competition and enjoying the sport together.
Training usually takes place in the afternoons during term time in our games slots (Tuesday or Thursday afternoon). For Years 9 and 10, this can be a little complex as timetabling is different for Years 11-13. Pupils are taken over to Sam’s yard and parents/carers bring the horses/ponies to meet them for an hour-long lesson. This means day pupils can return home at the end of their training.
We also look to put on weekend training sessions to top up the training hours. Pupils are expected to attend training regularly to be eligible to ride for the College. The usual time slot for Year 9/10 would be a 4.00pm lesson start, while Years 11–13 can leave earlier and arrive for a 3.00pm lesson start.
There are also options for those without their own pony to attend lessons at Polegate Equestrian Centre.
Recent successES
- 2025 East Sussex 70cm individual and team county champions (NSEA)
- 2025 3rd placed 70cm team at the national grassroots NSEA finals at Hickstead
- 2025 Individual 6th in the Grassroots national NSEA 60cm final at Hickstead and 7th in the teams
- 2025 pupil representing at National level for the pony club. Coming 6th place in the 1m eventing section at the JCB National Championships. Representative for the U18 youth eventing championships at Bishop Burton
- 2025 National finals qualifications in 80cm and 90cm Show jumping
- 2024 National Champion at the Sunshine tour showing championships in Pony Club pony
- 2024 A number of top placings at BS for schools and local competitions
- 2022 National Championships, the team finished 15th in the 80cm show jumping
Fencing
The College fencing club has a core of keen, regular fencers with a good mix of boys and girls. Beginners from all age groups join regularly. All groups fence foil.
Matches are arranged throughout the academic year against other schools. Some fencers have competed at the annual public schools championships.
Football
Football is a popular sport at the College. The main fixture card is in the Lent term for the five senior teams. There is a recreational side which plays in the Michaelmas term, and a junior activity which runs throughout the year. Those wishing to pursue football join more local clubs.
Recent Successes
Michael Ginno England Schools XI
Golf
Golf is available for all, from complete beginners to those with a low handicap. There is a good relationship with the Royal Eastbourne Golf Club where players can benefit from playing on Eastbourne’s premier course. Membership to the club can be arranged for pupils at a reduced termly or annual rate, and instruction is available from the team of professional coaches at the club.
The main fixtures take place in the summer team with some knockout competitions running throughout the year. Players can enjoy playing in or outside the games programme as well as on Sundays. We are fortunate to have a strong tradition in golf and are invited annually to play in the very competitive West Sussex GC foursomes and the Smarden Bell at Royal Ashdown GC.
After leaving the College, golfers can become part of the Old Eastbournian Golf Club and play on some of the finest courses in the UK including the prestigious Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club and the Royal St George’s Golf Club where they play in the Halford Hewitt. The club is fortunate to boast of a number of scratch and low-handicap players including ex-professionals.
Recent Successes
Toby, Will and George won the area round for the ISGA Competition and finished 11th in the national finals (2019)
ISGA Regional Finalists (singles) (2018)
ISGA National Plate Finals finishing sixth (2017)
Toby Lock Kent U16
William Oates Sussex U14
Mountain biking
Eastbourne College is extremely fortunate to be situated on the edge of one of the UK’s largest and most spectacularly varied National Parks, which is also home to some of the most accessible mountain biking opportunities.
With hundreds of miles of trails and bridleways at its doorstep, the school is resourced with its own small fleet of mountain bikes to use to explore the open tops of the South downs with its famous cliff top views, or to head into local Friston forest to use the plethora of trails and tracks enjoyed by so many.
Mountain biking is led by a qualified mountain bike leader and instructor enabling pupils of ranging ability to access the various trails as well as train some 6th form pupils to level 1 cycle trail leaders as part of the Leadership, Awards and Personal Development programme.
Rugby Fives
Rugby fives is played by both boys and girls. Pupils take part in schools competitions. Inter-house leagues and tournaments for boys and girls take place too.
There is a thriving OE network of fives players. Tessa Mills is currently ranked number two in the national ladies rankings, Marcus Bate is ranked in the country’s top 50, and has won several national doubles titles. Andy Pringle is a governor of the Rugby Fives Association.
Recent Successes
Eastbourne College girls have won several trophies at the annual national girls competition, most notably Tessa Mills who won the open singles title for four consecutive years.
Sailing and Windsurfing
Located only a few hundred metres from the sea, the College is ideally situated for pupils who love the water. Sailing and windsurfing is a popular activity during the summer term when pupils are taught single-handed sailing, and some have the opportunity to windsurf. Sailing is also on offer during the Michaelmas term. Fixtures take place against local schools on some Saturday afternoons in the summer. Home events take advantage of the excellent facilities at Buzz Active Watersports on the seafront.
Recent Successes
Sam Williams competed in the five-day RS:X European Windsurfing Championships
Squash
Squash is a popular sport at the College and is open to all age groups and abilities. Pupils in Years 9 and 10 participate in afternoon activity sessions, designed to introduce the game to the many who have not had the chance to play before. From Year 11 upwards, pupils can choose squash as their main sport, either on a recreational basis or as part of the squad that represents the school in competitive fixtures.
The new sports centre features two, modern, glass-backed squash courts with tiered viewing areas.
Fixtures take place in the Michaelmas and Lent terms, increasingly on a mixed gender basis, providing a rare opportunity for boys and girls to represent the school in the same team.
Triathlon
International Success
Eastbourne College has a long tradition of supporting Triathletes through the swimming programme. For those who are aspirational in this sport we have a close relationship and partnership with Team Bodyworks (Performance Triathlon Training) – Team Bodyworks | #TeamBW – Performance Triathlon. They have had huge success with pupils invested in the programme competing regionally, nationally and internationally.
Recent Successes
Lucas Gorrill (Gonville) – is competing at international youth and junior level, representing Great Britain. 3rd Place Finish at Youth Euro Championships (2025)
Alumni
- Noah Canby (Powell) – British Triathlon
- Hamish Reilly (Wargrave) – British Triathlon
- Jack Kennedy (Wargrave) – Irish Triathlon
