With only two defending champions in the field, the Butterfly School Team Championship National Finals at Hinckley this weekend could be the most open in several years.
Apart from Redlands Primary from Worksop (Notts), who will defend the title in the Under-11 Girls’ competition, and St Mary’s College, Hull, who were last year’s Under-13 Boys champions but this year have stepped up to Under-16s, none of the other title-winners from last year made it through the earlier stages of the competition.
Among the teams to look out for, Okehampton Community College in the U19 Girls’ event boast Mari Baldwin in their ranks, fresh from her appearance in the Women’s Singles final at the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships earlier this month, where she lost to England No 1 Tin-Tin Ho.
Ackworth School in Pontefract have the chance to win a double at Under-16 level, where they field two strong teams. In the girls’ event, they will be challenged by two teams featuring players who competed alongside Baldwin at the Nationals – Kirsty Maull of Wood Green Academy and sisters Erin and Anna Green of George Spencer Academy.
As well as Ackworth, several other schools have more than one chance to lift a trophy – St Mary’s are also in the U19 Boys’ category, while Whitgift School, Carlton-le-Willows Academy, Toot Hill School, St Peter’s CE Primary Academy and Fox Primary are also in more than one category.
The teams competing are:
Under-11 Boys (The Irene Elliott Cup)
St Bede’s Catholic Junior School (Widnes, Cheshire), St Edward’s Catholic Prinary School (Westminster, London Central), Fox Primary School (Kensington & Chelsea, London Central), St Peter’s CE Primary Academy (East Bridgford, Notts)
Under-11 Girls (The Martin Foulser Cup)
Earls Hall Primary School (Westcliff on Sea, Essex), Fox Primary School (Kensington & Chelsea, London Central), St Peter’s CE Primary Academy (East Bridgford, Notts), Redlands Primary & Nursery School (Worksop, Notts)
Under-13 Boys (The T Austin Harrison Cup)
Carlton-le-Willows Academy (Gedling, Notts), Fortismere School (Muswell Hill, Haringey, London North), Toot Hill School (Bingham, Notts), Whitgift School (London South)
Under-13 Girls (The Hartshill Cup)
Addey and Stanhope School (Lewisham, London East), Ashlyns School (Berkhamsted, Herts), Toot Hill School (Bingham, Notts), Wade Deacon High School (Widnes, Cheshire)
Under-16 Boys (The Leach-Carrington Cup)
Ackworth School (Pontefract, West Yorkshire), London Academy (Edgware, London North), St Mary’s Academy (Kingston-upon-Hull, Humber), Wallington County Grammar School (Sutton, London South)
Under-16 Girls (The Mick Betts Memorial Cup)
Ackworth School (Pontefract, West Yorkshire), George Spencer Academy (Stapleford, Notts), Prince Henry’s High School (Evesham, Worcs), Wood Green Academy (Wednesbury, Black Country)
Under-19 Boys (The Norman Cook Cup)
Carlton-le-Willows Academy (Gedling, Notts), Ernest Bevin College (Tooting Bec, London Central), St Mary’s College (Kingston-upon-Hull, Humber), Whitgift School (Croydon, London South)
Under-19 Girls (The Claud Kichenside Cup)
Benton Park School (Leeds, West Yorks), Norwich School (Norfolk), Okehampton Community College (Devon), Southend High School for Girls (Essex)