Old Girls take on students in netball and lacrosse

On Saturday 5 September 2026, St Helen and St Katharine hosted a sporting double-bill of netball and lacrosse fixtures featuring alumnae. The first-ever Old Girls' Netball Match pitched the Netball Senior Team against a team of Old Girls. We were thrilled to welcome back Mrs Beattie, former professional netball coach at St Helen's, who was at the heart of the sport at the School for a decade. Not only had Mrs Beattie encouraged some alumnae players to attend on the day, but she also led the cheering and played the role of coach for the Old Girls' team. With the current team's advantage of playing together more recently, they clinched a victory over the Old Girls by 25-17 as the final whistle blew. It was delightful to welcome alumnae players (Class of 2019 – 2026) as well as parents of current and former students and older alumnae and staff as spectators, all of whom contributed to a wonderful festival atmosphere. Watching on were some new and eager Year 7 students, who had just finished their introductory sporting morning. Thank you to all those who supported the event with their playing or cheering on, as it made for a great inaugural match. Congratulations to the current Netball Senior Team for becoming the 2026 winners and raising the Beattie Bowl for the first time!

The OG Netball Match was shortly followed by the annual OG Lacrosse Match, which has taken place for many years. Incredibly, the oldest reference to the fixture dates back to 1949! This year’s fixture fielded an alumnae squad of 14 players, with many other Old Girls, family and friends in the crowd. It was a lively and entertaining match in which the Old Girls played against the Senior Teams. There were over 60 players across two pitches, including nearly 50 current students from Year 11 to Year 13 making up the three Senior Teams, who took on the Old Girls in turn in 15-minute rotations. It was a joy to see Old Girls reunited with their former teammates whether fellow alumnae or current students. The returning alumnae players were mostly recent leavers (Class of 2024-2026), although it was an added treat to witness mother and daughter duo, Jay and Freya Hunt, on the pitch playing together for the Old Girls’ side. The match was another win for the Old Girls in 2026, but a great opportunity for current students to test their skills against some mighty competitors. The Head, Mrs Rollings, presented the victorious Old Girls with the Ottie Uden Memorial Trophy, before the teams enjoyed some well-earned refreshments and match tea. Thank you to all the players and spectators who joined us and brought such fantastic HelKat spirit to the events.