In 2026, The King's School Canterbury celebrates a special sports milestone: 50 years of girls' hockey at the School. 

The first girls' hockey match report appeared in The Cantuarian in April 1976. Many OKS from this time will remember that Judy Woodley (Common Room, 1974–2001) was tasked with overseeing the development of sports facilities for girls at King's as they began to enter the Sixth Form. The report read:

"This term for the first time we have had a sufficient number of girls to form a Hockey team and three games have been played. Two games were against Dover College, a 0-2 defeat followed by a 1-0 victory at Dover. The third game was a rather more light-hearted affair against the School Monitors. 

With organised practices and facilities for accommodating visiting schools it is hoped next year to increase the number of fixtures so that we can play a more significant part in the School’s sporting life.

Our thanks are due to Mrs Woodley for her organisation and encouragement throughout the term."

A following report recognised that King's faced a challenging start. The fixture lists were "a little too strong for us", with the team competing against larger and more experienced opponents. Despite this, success soon followed. In 1979, the girls' team entered the Kent Schools' Tournament for the first time and reached the final - a remarkable achievement for such a young programme. The team had also estalished a regular fixture against Hotchkiss School (Connecticut, United States), which was no doubt a valuable and exciting experience for the team. 

Above: 1980 team

The ambitions expressed in that first report were more than realised. Over the following decades, girls' hockey became an integral part of life at King's, with generations of players representing the School with pride. The move to full co-education in 1990 marked a new chapter for girls' hockey at King's. As the number of girls at the School grew, so too did the hockey programme, with new teams established across the year groups and increasing opportunities for pupils to represent the School.

Thirty years after that first season, the match reports from 2006 reflected just how far the programme had come:

"What a team! To play ten games and win all ten, not even drawing a single match, is quite incredible. In fact I think it may be a record for King’s; it certainly is for the last five years."

In that year, the U18 team became national indoor champions, the U16 team won the Kent and regional hockey competitions and eleven girls who played representative hockey all played for Kent. 

Above: 2006 team

Today, girls' hockey at King's is thriving as one of the School's most popular games choices. In the past Autumn Term alone, nearly 100 senior pupils chose to be part of the programme. King's teams compete successfully against both local and national opposition, regularly taking part in county and national cup competitions. Beyond School, a number of players represent Talent Academies, Kent Hockey, Canterbury Hockey Club and Wales Under-21s, reflecting the strength of the programme and the opportunities available to its players.

Fifty years on, it is clear that girls' hockey has become exactly what those pioneering players in 1976 hoped it would be: a significant and valued part of the School's sporting life. Their determination laid the foundations for generations of King's hockey players, and their legacy continues to thrive today.

In October 2026, we are planning to celebrate the history of girls' hockey at King's with a special OKS celebration match. Former players, please join us at Birley's on Saturday 10 October 2026. Players and spectators are both welcome!

For more information and to sign up, please click here.