The Lord`s Taverners u19s National Boccia Championships
The 2014 Lord’s Taverners National Final is set to take place on Thursday 6 March 2014 at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield.
During 2013-2014, 399 teams have taken part in the Lord`s Taverners County Competitions and over 1,500 young people from 270 schools have become involved in playing boccia. 75 teams progressed to the 10 regional heats and the following top 12 teams will take part in the National Final:
Region County School
- North West Lancashire Pendle Vale Community High School, Nelson
- North East Tyne and Wear The Cedars Academy, Gateshead
- Yorkshire South Yorkshire Danum Academy, Doncaster
- West Midlands Black Country The Streetly Academy, Sutton Coldfield
- East Midlands Lincolnshire St Georges Academy, Sleaford
- East Hertfordshire Longdean School, West Herts
- Central Berkshire The Westgate School, Slough
- London North London West Lea School, Enfield
- South West 1Gloucestershire Brimsham Green School, South Gloucester
- South West 2 Dorset Queen Elizabeth`s School, Winborne
- South East Sussex Angmering School, Little Hampton
- Scotland Glasgow Scottish Borders East Lothian
Pendle Vale, The Streetly Academy, The Westgate, West Lea and Longdean School are all teams reaching the final for the first time. Danum Academy are the reigning champions and the Cedars have been winners twice before. For the third year running we welcome a team from Scotland.
Additionally, over 400 young people have received training on a Boccia Young Officials Course to support the competitions and 12 have been selected from across the country to referee at the National Final supported by International and National referees.
Boccia England’s U19s Programme Manager, Mary Johnson says:
“This has been a fantastic programme from year one when only 8 teams and 30 competitors took part. It has grown rapidly and this year 399 teams were involved with 1,510 players. The working relationship between Boccia England and The Lord`s Taverners has made this programme the great success that it is, and long may it continue to give young people with a physical disability a very competitive and enjoyable sporting opportunity.”
This is the 6th annual final of this competition, organised and delivered by Boccia England in partnership with The Lord’s Taverners who have worked on this programme together since its beginnings in 2008. Designed to provide competitive boccia opportunities for young people with a physical disability to have a pathway through county, region and national competition. Alongside this and crucial to the sport is the development of young boccia referees following the same pathway.
