Fierce but friendly Chapman Cup competition brings Year 9 advisories together
By Milo O’Neill
Last academic year was an interesting one, to say the least. The story has been told many times before: Zoom, masks, and of course, being stuck at home. For Year 9s, however — and for those who enjoy playing sports in particular — a small amount of respite was created with the introduction of the Chapman Cup.
Named after Year 9 Head of Year Amanda Chapman, the Chapman Cup of 2020-21 was a football competition in which advisories played against each other in a round-robin format, with the best-ranked teams playing against each other in a final. Advisory Song 6 were the inaugural winners.
The Cup has been brought back this year, but with substantial changes. Most notably, the addition of new sports - basketball and volleyball.
“Last year, we noticed that only a small group of students in Year 9 actually enjoyed playing football. Since our goal is to let everyone have fun, we wanted to add more sports, so that more people can participate,” says Year 9 student Ching Hei Lam, one of the Cup’s organisers.
The introduction of new sports also meant that a revamp of the format was needed. The solution? Three separate tournaments, with one for each sport. The tournaments are played one after the other, and teams earn points by winning games. The team with the most cumulative points from every sport will be crowned the overall winner.
“During the planning process, we couldn't really figure out the matchings of the teams, as we wanted students to play against as many teams as possible,” says Lam. “In the end, a random draw was done during assembly. By doing this, an element of fun and suspense is added.”
Following months of planning, the football tournament began in the final week of November. With all of Year 9 in attendance, advisories Qing 5, Tang 5, Song 6 and Ming 6 won their opening matches.
“It is a great opportunity for me and the other advisors to see people having fun and doing something we did not know they could do,” said Chapman. “Whether you are playing or [cheering on the teams], it is wonderful to witness everyone having fun outside the classroom. I think the atmosphere is great, and I have also been impressed with how many female footballers we have. Who knew?”
The second week saw wins for Qing 5, Ming 6 and Tang 6 while Ming 5 and Song 5 played out a 1-1 draw.
“My team has won and lost one. From the loss we know our mistakes and how to correct them for upcoming matches,” said Year 9 student and Song 6 member Hrithik Samtani.
By that point though, the final had already been decided. Unless a major upset was to take place, group leaders Qing 5 and Ming 6 looked set to play against each other in the final. And that is exactly what happened — after a 10-0 win for Qing 5 and a 4-0 win for Ming 6, the two teams finished top of their respective groups.
The final was a tension-packed occasion. Having taken an early lead through a well-taken free kick, Ming 6 looked poised to win. With only two minutes remaining however, Qing 5 scored from a deflected shot that left the goalkeeper dazed. The tide should have turned, but it didn’t. The momentum soon wore away and Ming 6 capitalized on a mistake to score their second goal, which ended up winning them the game. The final score was 2-1 to Ming.
“To be honest, I’m really surprised that we won,” said Ming 6 student Callum Quek-Gardner. “A lot of people underestimated us but we came out on top.”
So is the tournament a success? The Chapman Cup has been met with an enthusiastic reception. Students have especially taken a liking to the addition of the new sports.
“I think that this was an excellent idea,” states Chapman. “It’s great for Year 9 morale. It sets us apart from other year groups while strengthening our identity and sense of community.”
“I enjoyed it as it was a new experience for my teammates and I,” says Samtani.
“The feedback we received from students was very positive. Students really appreciate how there are three sports, as not everyone is a big fan of football,” says Lam.
“I am thrilled that basketball and volleyball have been added as it makes the Cup accessible to so many more students who may not consider themselves particularly good football players. It also means the Cup goes on the whole year, which is great for everyone involved,” says Chapman.
As of the 10th of December, Ming 6 is currently in the lead with 8 points, 2 points above second-placed Qing 5. However, with two sports to go and with each advisory still having over 16 points to play for, anything is possible.