Queen Anne's School Crowned National Lacrosse Champions 2025
Queen Anne’s School is celebrating a dazzling sporting triumph after its U19A lacrosse team was crowned National Champions at the National Schools Lacrosse Tournament on Sunday 9 March.
In a weekend of thrilling competition hosted at the Aldershot Garrison Sports Fields, Queen Anne’s brought five teams to compete, who all showed their mighty QAS Strong spirits in a tough competition. The U19As fought through a fiercely contested two-days of competition in the championship division to secure the title of National Champions for the first time in nearly thirty years, etching their name into the history books of the competition once again. Their path to victory was marked by resilience, determination, and outstanding teamwork, culminating in a hard-fought 3-2 victory over St Catherine’s, Bramley in the final.
The tournament began with a strong showing in the pool stages, where Queen Anne’s secured four wins out of five to qualify for the Championship round as one of the top 16 schools nationally. Then facing setbacks with two narrow defeats against Godolphin and Guildford High in the seeding groups for the Championship Knock-Out on Sunday; the later stages of that knockout proved how tricky this group with 3 of the 4 Semi-finalists coming from this seeding group!
Their journey gained momentum with a thrilling 3-2 victory over St Alban’s in the Last 16, followed by an exhilarating 5-4 quarter-final win against Withington. In the semi-final, they displayed remarkable composure to avenge their earlier loss against Guildford High, emerging 2-1 victors.
The final against St Catherine’s, Bramley was a showcase of skill and tenacity. Queen Anne’s struck first, only for their opponents to equalise. Undeterred, the team responded immediately to regain the lead before extending it to two goals in the closing minutes. St Catherine’s fought back to set up a tense finale, but Queen Anne’s resolute defence saw them through to a momentous victory as the final whistle sparked jubilant celebrations.
Queen Anne's sent five teams to this year's tournament and the whole squad showed remarkable strength, with the U19B team winning an impressive 5-1 against North London Collegiate and 3-1 against Marlborough College, making it to the semi-finals in Division 2. The U15A team were placed in the top 16 schools, winning 3-2 against Haberdasher’s Elstree and the U14As finished 5th winning 4-2 against Withington Girls School. The U13 team performed excellently in their first big tournament, winning an impressive three matches against their opponents, finishing in the top 16 schools.
Head of Queen Anne’s School, Elaine Purves, said: “Our A and B teams both fought so hard and were absolute superstars. There was unwavering support from parents, staff and students, whose encouragement provided an invaluable boost throughout the tournament - it was a very emotional day. The atmosphere was amazing and the U19A team’s win as national champions reflects their hard work and dedication.”
Head Coach, Nick Blackwell, said “It’s unbelievable. The girls dug deep and prepared really well. They took the competition in their stride and just got better and better.”
Captains Mary Briscoe and Lara Moore led the team with exceptional leadership, guiding their squad through the highs and lows of the competition with remarkable poise. Mary reflected on the tournament, “It was a roller coaster of a tournament. We lost three matches throughout the weekend, but I truly believe that we learned and adapted from our mistakes in those matches which led us to victory overall! The girls are such amazing individuals on and off the pitch, the work ethic in this group is insane. We are so excited to come back to school to celebrate with the rest of the QAS community after showing the lacrosse world what Queen Anne's is all about!” Lara, in her final year at Queen Anne’s, added: “Captaining this team to a national championship in my final year is an indescribable feeling. Every ounce of hard work, sacrifice and trust we put into each other paid off in the best way possible. This team truly deserved it- our resilience, grit and commitment to one another set us apart. We couldn't have asked for a better coach, Mr Blackwell, for continually driving us to be the best we can be all throughout the season. Leading this team has been an honour, and there's no better way to close this chapter than as national champions.”
Queen Anne’s School is immensely proud of our teams that competed at Nationals who all showed brilliant team spirit, perseverance and passion. This historic victory from the U19As serves as an inspiration to the school’s aspiring athletes, reinforcing Queen Anne’s position as a powerhouse in school sport.
March 2025