The competitive excitement ran all through the evening, peaking with announcements of Teams of the Year contenders, celebrating powerhouse squads including the U16A Boys Football team, U14 Girls Rugby, U14 Girls Rounders and U15 Boys Rugby.

One special mention has to be our outstanding U18s Samuel Whitbread Academy Football team, who took to the pitch with determination and energy, crowning themselves ESFA National Cup Champions 2026.

The Sports Awards Evening highlighted remarkable loyalty and long-term commitment to school sports. A major highlight of the night was the presentation of appearance milestones, recognising students who have repeatedly represented Samuel Whitbread Academy on the pitch and court.

Standing out at the very top of the milestone roll of honour was Daniel K, who was awarded a special certificate and cap to celebrate reaching an astounding 200 Sporting Appearances for the academy. Milestone awards were also presented to Seb K for reaching 100 Sporting Appearances, along with students earning certificates for 50 and 25 appearances.

The evening culminated in the announcement of the academy’s highest individual honours: Rising Star 2025-26: Celebrating exceptional upcoming talent, featuring Amari D, Nuala S, Harry W, and George C.

Sports Personality of the Year 2025-26: Awarded to premier sporting role models, featuring Phoebe H, Nadia P, Seb K, and Noah J.