Sport for all

Sixth Form

Sport is not just part of school life at Bedford – it is tightly woven into who we are. Whether you are a beginner or an elite athlete, you will have the opportunity to get involved, improve and compete across a huge range of sports.

Unrivalled Choice

The school’s ‘major’ sports are rugby, hockey, rowing and cricket but that is just the beginning. You can also play football (soccer), golf, tennis, athletics, badminton, basketball, swimming, cross-country, fencing, fives, squash, table tennis, water polo, rifle shooting, weight training/conditioning and more.

With over 30 sports on offer, there is something for everyone. You might even discover a sport you never expected to enjoy.

“…while the trophy cabinets are bursting at the seams for all sports from rugby and cricket to rowing and golf, the overall ethos is far from elitist…”

Good Schools Guide

Compete with Purpose

Whether you are playing in inter-school fixtures, travelling on overseas tours or competing in house events at home, sport at Bedford will help you grow not only as an athlete but as a leader. You will learn to compete with integrity, support your teammates and represent your school with distinction.

Sporting Life

Three times a week, lessons make space for sport. Because of Saturday school, teaching finishes at lunchtime on Tuesdays and Thursdays, giving you time for games, training, and matches. Saturday afternoons are busy too, with boys competing or training together. In the Sixth Form, this rhythm helps you stay balanced—giving you time to focus, reset, and perform at your best.

You will be taught by specialist teachers, professional coaches, and academic staff who know how to get the best out of you. Partnerships with top clubs bring extra expertise and resources. Along the way, you will build strong relationships with your teachers—on the field as well as in the classroom. That connection is part of what makes Bedford feel different.

Sport at Bedford

“A fantastic number of current and ex-pupils compete at county and national level (former England cricket captain Sir Alastair Cook is an old boy); masterclasses and individual, top-level coaching are all available. The non-sporty are encouraged to have a go at everything with heaps of teams to support everyone.”

Talk Education

“….you name it and Bedford offers it, from archery or rifle shooting to Pilates and fencing.”

Good Schools Guide

“Known for being sporty, the school plays rugby, cricket and hockey at a very competitive level with much cheering for the home side from the sidelines. But it’s not only core sports on offer. ‘There is every sport you can think of,’ the boys told us, including fives, rowing, water polo and golf.”

Talk Education

Elite Partnerships

At Bedford, you can train with some of the best. The school works with top-level clubs to give you access to high-performance coaching, advanced skill development, and outstanding facilities beyond the school grounds.

These partnerships include:

Northampton Saints, one of England’s leading Premiership Rugby teams
Woburn Golf Club, a premier international championship venue
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, a first-class team competing across all formats

If you are serious about your sport, these connections can take your training to the next level.

Different sports on offer

1200

Fixtures every year

108

Co-curricular sports sessions every week

Find your passion

Rugby In partnership with Northampton Saints, boys continue to achieve remarkable success and develop a lifelong passion for the game.

Cricket With an enviable cricket tradition in partnership with Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, boys at Bedford can take their cricket to the next level.

Hockey Specialist coaching staff, a competitive fixture list, first-class facilities and year-round opportunities define hockey at Bedford.

Rowing A well-equipped fleet of boats, dedicated coaching staff and year-round opportunities ensure an impressive level of rowing at Bedford School.

Golf Elite and development programmes, plus a dedicated performance centre, support every Bedford golfer’s journey.

Other Sports With over 30 sports on offer, every boy has the chance to find his fit.

Pathways to Excellence

We offer an extensive scholarship programme, available across all our major sports and golf. At elite level, as a scholar or someone showing exceptional promise, you will belong to the Sports Performance Group and benefit from individual development plans providing a weekly schedule and an annual education programme to enable you to reach your goals. And boys really do – Bedford School boys regularly play at national level across a wide variety of sports, both at school and beyond.

At the top of their game

Facilities

Our first-class facilities include a twin AstroTurf complex with floodlights, a golf performance centre with two simulators, an indoor 25m swimming pool, 28 tennis courts, 4 squash courts, a climbing wall and two superbly equipped fitness suites. Our indoor sports hall offers basketball courts, cricket nets, indoor hockey, badminton and volleyball, as well as table tennis tables and a fencing piste.

Our immaculate grass fields provide nine rugby and six football pitches during the autumn and winter, and over the summer they give way to six cricket squares. We have 17 outdoor cricket nets (nine Astro and eight grass) and six indoors. We have a shooting range, fives courts, a rowing performance centre and a boat house on the river just a ten-minute walk away.