The underpinning philosophy of Sport in the School is best summed up by Pope John Paul II, himself a useful goalkeeper in his youth:
The correct practice of sport must be accompanied by the virtues of temperance and sacrifice; frequently it also requires a good team spirit, respectful attitudes, the appreciation of the qualities of others, honesty in the game and humility to recognise one's own limitations. In short, sports, especially in less competitive forms, foster festive celebration and friendly coexistence. While playing sports Christians also find help in developing the cardinal virtues — fortitude, temperance, prudence and justice.
Thus, the point of sport at the Oratory is primarily to provide a healthy, balanced, joyful context in which good character can be developed, and where sport can become a life-long part of a pupil's life. As such, we provide an introduction to a range of sports, balancing out the needs of diversification with specialisation, and the needs of elite performance with those of wider participation. In terms of our specialist sports, in the Michaelmas Term, we focus on rugby, at which the School has a long and distinguished history. In the Lent Term we shift to Hockey and Water Polo, with some soccer. In the Trinity Term, pupils engage in Cricket and Athletics. Girls are fully integrated into our sports programme, and have full access to and usage of the gym. We are also very proud of the achievements of our Netball team!
Our recent highlights include: