National Success and SGS Talks Sport
Stockport Grammar School provides exceptional sporting opportunities for every child. In addition to being inclusive, we aspire to the highest level of elite performance and our teams frequently achieve national success.
Last school year the Under 14 Netball team secured third place at the prestigious National Schools Finals, the Under 15 Rugby squad reached the Quarter Finals of the National Cup, the Under 15 Hockey girls reached the Quarter Finals of the National Plate and the Under 13 Girls’ Football team reached the Quarter Finals of the Sisters n Sport National Plate Competition.
This resulted in SGS being ranked the top independent school in the North West for sport by School Sport Magazine in their annual Top 200 schools list.
To aid pupils’ development, the Sport, PE, Health and Fitness department have created the ‘SGS Talks Sport’ series where they speak to figures from the world of sport who can impart their knowledge to our pupils.
Sir Alistair Cook CBE
Alistair Cook is an English cricketer and currently play for Essex. He is a former captain of the England Test and One-Day International teams, holds a number of English and international records and is one of the most prolific batsman of the modern era.
Sally Gunnell OBE
Sally Gunnell is a British former track and field athlete who won the 1992 Olympic gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles. She is the only female British athlete to have won Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles, and was the first female 400 metres hurdler in history to win the Olympic and World titles and break the world record. She was made an MBE in 1993 and an OBE in 1998.
David Rouse
David Rouse is the current Goalkeeping Coach at Stoke City. He played in the Football League for Macclesfield Town and has worked at clubs including Manchester United, Wigan Athletic, Queen’s Park Rangers and Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates
Nick Cox
Nick Cox is Manchester United’s Head of Academy.
Nick, who has a background in teaching and sports science, has previously been with Watford and Sheffield United and has been working at the Aon Training Complex for the last three years.
Dan Ryan
Dan Ryan is an Australian netball player, coach, sports journalist and broadcaster. Dan is currently the head coach of both Northern Ireland and Leeds Rhinos. As a player, he captained both the Victorian Cyclones and Australia Sonix men’s netball teams.
Esme Morgan
Esme Morgan is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for FA WSL club Manchester City. She has represented England at Under 17, Under 19 and Under 21 level.
Colin Rösler
Colin Rösler is a German-born, Norwegian-English footballer who plays as a centre back for NAC Breda. He is the son of German footballer and manager Uwe Rösler.
Joline Henry
Joline Henry is a New Zealand netball player. She has previously played for Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic, Northern Mystics and Central Pulse.
James Mazarelo
James Mazarelo is a Great Britain hockey player.
Alan Pace
Alan Pace is the Chairman of Burnley Football Club and is Managing Partner at ALK Capital.
Natalie Berry
Natalie Berry is a climber and Editor-in-Chief of UKClimbing.com. She placed third in the 2018 British Bouldering Championships, gaining her a place on the 2019 GB Bouldering Team.
Steve Vernon
Steve Vernon is Head Coach at Team New Balance Manchester. He is a former British international athlete in cross country and mountain running.
Dr Barbara Walsh
Dr Barbra Walsh is a University School Director at LJMU and parent of sport stars Kate Richardson-Walsh and Rachel Walsh.
Jessica Piasecki
Old Stopfordian Jessica Piasecki (OS 2008) is an Olympic athlete who is the third fastest female in British marathon history. She is also a Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at Nottingham Trent University.
Gary Butcher
Gary Butcher is a former English first-class cricketer. The all-rounder, who bowled right arm with a hint of swing, starter his career with Glamorgan, taking a wicket with his very first delivery in the Sunday League. He also played for Surrey.
Simon Ord
Simon Ord is Head of Education at Derby County Football Club.
Shona McCallin MBE
Shona McCallin is a Great Britain and England hockey player. She is a double Olympian and an Olympic and European Champion.
Paul Connolly
Paul Connolly is a Sports Psychologist and Coach Educator at England Hockey.
Rupert Shipperley
Rupert Shipperley is a hockey player for Wales and Great Britain. He is currently on the books of Hampstead and Westminster Hockey Club.
Ross Millington
Old Stopfordian Ross Millington is a British Olympic athlete. He represented Great Britain in the Men’s 10,000m Rio Olympic Games and continues to represent Britain in the European Championships.
Joshua Keefe
Joshua Keefe is a Choreographer and international professional Ballroom Dancer. Joshua started dancing at the age of 10 and set up dance company Move For Life in 2015. He has worked on Australian TV’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ as a professional Dancer and Choreographer and on Strictly Come Dancing as Assistant to the Creative Director and Choreographer.
Robbie Phillips
Robbie is an Edinburgh based climber and coach. He began his career competing but is better known for his cutting edge ascents on alpine rock, which include becoming the first Briton to climb the infamous ‘Alpine Trilogy’ – Silbergeier 8b+, Des Kaisers neue Kleider 8b+ and End of Silence 8b+.
Duncan Watmore
Duncan is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for Championship club Middlesbrough. He has previously played for Altrincham, Clitheroe, Curzon Ashton, Sunderland and Hibernian.
Chris Brain
Chris has worked in the outdoors for over 20 years coaching and guiding and delivering professional development courses. He specialises in paddlesport and delivers a range of personal skills, leadership, safety and rescue courses.
Raffi Quirke
Raffi is an rugby union player who plays for Sale Sharks and England. He joined the club’s academy in 2018 and has previously represented his country at U16, U18 and U20 level.
The Manchester-born scrum half was called up to the senior England squad in September 2021 for a training camp and, in October 2021, was selected in England’s squad for their home fixtures against Tonga, Australia and South Africa.
Martin Waldron
Martin is the former Head of Academy Recruitment at Everton Football Club. He is now a Registered Intermediary at CAA Base.
Stephen Gosling
Stephen is a Stockport born photographer who is now based in Washington, DC. He specialises in editorial, corporate, commercial and sports portraiture and is an NBA photographer. He was also an official photographer at the Tokyo Olympics.
Nick Clark
Nick is the Manager of the England Hockey Boys Under 18s. He is an experienced sports Director at a number of schools and is the Head of Coaching Development at Bowdon Hockey Club.
Damien Allen
Damien Allen is the Academy Manager at Stockport County. He is an UEFA ‘A’ licensed coach and has a Masters in Sports Directorship. During his career he played for Stockport County, Morecambe, Bangor and Aberystwyth.
