Following on from an empowering International Women’s Day, Queen Ethelburga’s is proud to announce a new collaboration with Her Game Too – a national campaign committed to tackling sexism in sport and promoting inclusive sporting environments. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in our ongoing mission to empower students through sport and ensure that every young person feels safe, supported, and celebrated in their athletic pursuits.
The collaboration will see Queen Ethelburga’s working closely with Her Game Too to deliver educational initiatives, awareness campaigns, and inclusive sporting opportunities across the school community.
Rob Rawlinson, Head of Sport, shared:
We are delighted to collaborate with Her Game Too to promote and spread the positive messages regarding inclusivity and equal opportunities. At Queen Ethelburga’s, our students follow an inclusive sports curriculum that excludes no one and actively pushes female participation and opportunities for all. We have female student role models that are playing high level football, weightlifting and cricket outside of school that are inspiring younger members of our community. We’ve also recently been to Malta, where we had female members of our E-Sports team that came runners up in the World Championships.Coupled with our world class facilities, our students’ desire and aspirations to succeed are a perfect collaboration for producing well-rounded athletes. It is our aim to keep growing sport for all genders and to provide an environment in which they are able to flourish through encouragement and support without judgement.
Netball
Decorated to an untouchable standard, Netball continues to be a popular choice for the girls at QE. Head Girl, Sophia, is a valuable member of the First Team and has represented Leeds Rhino’s U17s since 2024 as captain. She continues to be recognised for her brilliance receiving ISL 2025 MVP of the Tournament and ISL 2025 Defender of the tournament and is currently Co-captain of the AOC Colleges 2025-26 season.
Fleur is a Year 9 superstar who regularly represents QE’s First Team and plays with the U14 Leeds Rhino’s squad. Fleur has been selected to be part of the Leeds Athletic Netball Club which is an Elite Pathway Programme and competes in a variety of competitions across England.
Dance
Recent celebrations of Gym and Dance at QE showcased talent and diversity to a breathtaking level, where soloists Elsie (Year 10) and Freya L (Year 9) performed their usual professional etiquette.
Elsie holds multiple exam records at her dance school, Danceology, and was nominated for the International Theatre Dance Awards in Contemporary Modern Jazz, where she was selected as one of the final 30 dancers from over 7,000 contestants.
Freya trains with Northern Ballet where she achieved a Distinction in her Intermediate Foundation Exam and is currently working through her Intermediate Level for Ballet which is equivalent to an A Level.
Skiing
Arabella (Year 10) is the outstanding current U16 Girls National Ski Champion. She previously competed in the 2025 International School Races, where she achieved an impressive 2nd place finish, and has earned her place on the Alpine Performance Racing and Ski Team, with whom she trains and competes for 6–8 weeks each year.
Football
Isabella and Erin (Year 13) are talented and dedicated footballers who compete for York City Ladies. Isabella plays for the First Team, where the squad reached the 4th Round of the FA Cup, and she was also selected to represent the ISFA U18 Representative Squad last season. Erin is the Captain of the York City Ladies Development Side, demonstrating strong leadership, commitment, and skill on and off the pitch.
Weightlifting
Ella (Year 11) is an exceptional and highly accomplished three-time English Weightlifting Champion and three-time British National Champion who holds multiple British Weightlifting records. Her national success has earned her brand partnerships and a place on Team Great Britain. Ella has represented England once and Great Britain twice, and has impressively placed 6th in Europe for Olympic weightlifting in each of the past two years
Hockey
Maisie (Year 12) is a dedicated hockey player who has achieved success at both regional and national levels. She has been selected for the England Colleges national squad and has represented the Durham Talent Academy at two Talent Academy festivals. In addition to this, Maisie competes at a high level with York Ladies’ First Team and has also played for the York U18 Indoor Squad.
Swimming
Amaja (Year 10) is a highly accomplished swimmer who has achieved remarkable success at both national and international levels. She represented Great Britain at the World Biathle Championships, where she earned an impressive silver medal and is the National Champion in the 400m Individual Medley. Amaja also secured bronze in the 200m Freestyle at the English National Championships and reached the finals in three additional events at the Summer English Nationals.
Amaja is currently ranked among the top 10 swimmers in Great Britain across nine events and has also qualified to compete in the GB Aquatics Commonwealth Games selection competition. At a regional level, she is a Northeast Short Course medallist and the Yorkshire Champion in both Short Course and Long Course events
Lacrosse
Freya E (Year 9) is a talented lacrosse player who has been selected for the Regional Academy as part of the England pathway and was also chosen to represent Yorkshire U18s. Freya was additionally selected for the North of England team to compete in a national tournament, and last year her club team achieved success by winning the Plate Final Cup in their league.
Cricket
Leona (Year 13) is a dedicated allrounder who has achieved impressive success both on and off the field. She took part in Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams when the series filmed on site at QE, was selected for the Yorkshire U18s, and plays for Sessay Cricket Club, where her team won the Women’s and Girls’ Yorkshire Premier League. In recognition of her positive influence and commitment to the sport, Leona was also awarded the WH Role Model of the Year.
Basketball
Emily’s (Year 12) performances have been widely recognised, earning her the Girls’ Basketball Coaches’ Player of the Year Award in both 2023–2024 and 2024–2025, as well as the Girls’ Basketball Players’ Player of the Year Award (2024–2025). She has also achieved competitive success, securing a bronze medal at the ISSFHK Girls’ Basketball tournament, highlighting her impact and consistency on the court.
Cross Country
Ella and Millie (Year 7) have both shown great promise in cross country running. Ella finished 8th overall in the U13 girls’ PECO Cross Country League standings and placed 3rd at the ISA National Cross Country Championships. She has also been selected to represent North Yorkshire at the Junior England Schools Cross Country Championships. Millie has also achieved excellent results, finishing 2nd at the ISA Cross Country event, 6th in the ISA National Finals, and 10th at the School National Cross Country Championships.
All round sport
Freya T (Year 9) definitely ticks off the girl in sport label, flying the flag across many different disciplines. Plays netball for QE, Ripon Rockets and North Yorkshire. Plays football, cricket and hockey for QE. Trains twice a week at swimming for general fitness and is a highly capable middle-distance and cross-country runner. Has been riding since she was 2 years old, as well as skiing from a similar age. She has been shooting Trap and Skeet since she was 8, and recreationally waterskis, surfs and wakeboards. A definite all-round sporting student!
Matt Derbyshire, Coach in Charge of Football-Development & Performance, commented:
Our goal is simple: to give every student the chance to discover a sport they love, push their limits, and feel part of something bigger. We also want to create a safe place for everyone to make mistakes and help them develop in the right way with no pressure.
Kelly Jackson-Powell, Sport Co-ordinator, said:
The collaboration with Her Game Too will help promote female participation in a range of sports whilst providing opportunities and experiences to enhance our current provisions. Whether they’re competing nationally or taking up a new sport for fun, every student learns something about themselves and this is something we want to keep promoting in all sports.
James Luxford, Esports Co-Ordinator, added:
In Q-Esports, we’re proud to have had dozens of girls participate and serve as esports team captains leading their teams to incredible victories, achievements and trophies. We are committed to making esports a safe space for girls and welcome this partnership, which will help us amplify our current efforts to promote esports as an activity for everyone.
This collaboration reflects Queen Ethelburga’s commitment to innovation, engagement, and social responsibility. It builds on our existing efforts to use sport as a force for development and aligns with our broader vision for co-curricular excellence and community impact.
