Bishop Challoner Catholic College was once again invited to provide the Ball Crew for the prestigious ‘Rothesay Birmingham Classic’; a televised International Women’s Tennis Tournament which took place this year from Saturday 15th June 2023 - Sunday 23rd June 2024 at the Priory Club in Edgbaston.
This is always such an exciting opportunity for the students of Bishop Challoner to experience a world class sporting event and to rub shoulders with elite sportswoman from around the world. The legacy that our students, past and present, have created from their previous hard work speaks volumes; from our now 20 years of service to the International Women’s Tennis Tournament – ‘The Rothesay Classic Birmingham’ and our involvement(s) in both The Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup. During the week, tournament officials, spectators and players have been all been extremely complimentary about our Ball Crew students and have commended them on their excellent skill, concentration and professionalism whilst on and off the court. In addition to their 'on-court' duties, students also took part in a Q & A session with Olivia Marshall (GB) and a BBC Radio interview, where they were quizzed on their Ball Crew training and tournament experience(s). The full interview can be found on the BBC Sounds app/website. Prior to the tournament, we had (as always) an exceptional turnout at our annual trials and were delighted that so many of our students were interested and inspired to be involved. The number of students who trialled this year was well into the 100+ mark, with only 45 students making it through final selection. Without the number of students who put themselves forward each year to trial, the final team would not be at such a high standard.