What’s your sport?
“Whether you like to compete or just enjoy a run about with your friends, OC sport offers both.”
— Andy Savva (EG 1977) | Chair of OC Sports Committee
Cricket
The OC cricket club has 2 teams which compete each summer from May-September in the Saracens Hertfordshire League. The club are always on the lookout for new players - any experience will do!
Our home ground is based at the home of the Old Cholmeleian Sports Club, Hendon Wood Lane, Totteridge, NW7 4HR, and we have annual matches against the school, usually played on First Club.
If you would like to find out more about playing, please contact Jamie Sperling (QG 2011),1st XI Captain, at sperling.jamie@gmail.com.
Fives
The OC Fives club is a friendly and fun group of players of all ages and abilities. We welcome all players, no matter how long it has been since you donned your gloves or even if you want to just give it a try. We offer everyone as much Fives as we can, at the competitive level they want.
We enter teams into the top and middle divisions, as well as major tournaments, but also have weekly friendly practices and enter more casual events. We also love a good social including OC/School matches and end of season events, amongst others.
Season runs from September - May but we have casual fives that runs through the summer as well. We play at the courts in Highgate School, Bishopswood Road.
If you would like to find out more, please contact Emily Scoones (GH 2009) at escoones32@yahoo.co.uk or Jonny Ho (MG 2008) at jonryanho@gmail.com.
Football
We play football in the Arthurian League which is played amongst the old boys of public schools in England, and enter a selection of cup competitions at the start of each season, most notably the Arthur Dunn Cup. The season starts in early September and ends typically by the end of March. Games are played every Saturday, and we have midweek training sessions on Wednesday evenings at the Mallinson Sports Centre.
OC Football was founded in 1894, and currently operates with 3 teams: 1st Eleven captained by Archie Patch (QG 2012), 2nd Eleven captained by George Brenman, and the VETS Eleven captained by Nick Franklin (FG 1997).
The Club’s home ground is the Old Cholmeleians Sports Cub, Hendon Wood Lane, NW7 4HR
Golf
Click here to view the Golf Society’s fixture list for 2022.
The Old Cholmeleian Golf Society (OCGS) was founded in 1906 following a tournament which included 6 Masters and 10 OCs out of a field of 42. In 1911 we started the Kelly Cup which continues to this day as the oldest OC specific competition.
We currently have 125 members of all playing levels. We are lucky enough to play throughout the year and on some of the greatest courses in the country: Royal St George's, Royal West Norfolk, Royal Cinque Ports, Royal Wimbledon and Ashridge to name a few.
The main tournaments we play in are: The Halford Hewitt Cup, played annually in April comprising teams from 64 other Public Schools; The Grafton Morrish Trophy open to all schools part of the Public Schools Golf Association; and the Bernard Darwin Trophy. In addition to inter-school tournaments, we have several competitions throughout the season within the Society, and the OCGS has regular matches with various other old school golf societies.
Whether you are a 1 handicap or a ‘rather-not-mention-my-handicap,’ everyone is welcome and we would love for you to join!
Netball
The OC Netball team was originally set up and Captained by Jessie Varma (WG 2009), who led the team through many successes both in local leagues in North London and the first School vs OCs game in the summer.
After a brief hiatus, in 2021 Nina Sorensen resurged the team, which continues to regularly compete in a North London League and the annual OC vs School game under the co-captaincy of Juliette de Freitas Vile (HG 2018) and Talia Augustidis (EG 2018). They currently play in the Women's B league in Angel, Islington on Tuesday evenings.
Players of all abilities are welcome to join, from those who haven't picked up a ball since school, to those who played throughout University and beyond. A general understanding of the rules is encouraged as this is a recommendation of the league organisers, but you'll be amazed how quickly you remember what 3 feet looks like! We look forward to welcoming you on court!
Real Tennis
Real tennis is played in an enclosed court with cork-cored balls and asymmetrical racquets. Like fives, it evolved from a game played with bare hands that emerged in France in the 12th century. By the 16th century it had become a racquet sport and there were thousands of tennis courts across Europe. Today there are just 50 courts worldwide, most of them in the UK. The term ‘real’ is a 20th century retronym used to distinguish it from the modern game of lawn tennis.
This year Tony Friend (NG 1967) and Gareth Zundel (MG 1971) represented the OCs at the The Cattermull Cup 2024. The Cattermull Cup is the annual Schools’ Alumni Real Tennis Doubles Handicap Championship held at Middlesex University Real Tennis Court.
If you are a real tennis player and would like to represent the OCs in future competitions, or just try your hand at the game, please contact Tony Friend (tonyfriend@me.com).
Old Cholmeleian Sports Club
In the 1950s, thanks to the magnificent efforts of many OCs, a long lease was taken from Barnet Council on seventeen and a half acres of land in Totteridge, North London. Four football pitches, a cricket square and a hockey pitch were laid out, and a clubhouse was built. This became, and remains to date, the home of the Old Cholmeleian Sports Club; over the years it has provided a social, sporting and educational centre for generations of OCs as sporting careers have been pursued and lifelong friendships forged.
Old Cholmeleian Sports Club, Hendon Wood Lane, London, NW7 4HR