The academy has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2016 in the most part due to the financial contributions made by the alumni benefactors, circa £60k over 4 years and the efforts of key school sports staff. A part of the vision has been to develop pride in playing representative hockey whether house, school or county always turning out 'well-dressed and disciplined'. Various items of equipment and clothing have been funded by the WRA as well as awards for performance. 

In the first major year of the WRA a tour was organized to Holland which was the making of several of the students as testified by many a parent. Students earn their places by participating in the weekly sessions under coach Josh Bryan. The tour is an expensive venture and funds are raised from alumni, the school and parental contributions to provide a unique and positive experience. Planning is underway for the next tour in 2022, masterminded by the Sports Director, Dan Quinn and £12k has been pledged by alumni to help finance the opportunity.

 Allan Mayo, ex England U21 Manager and current England Masters player has linked in with his substantial international hockey contacts and subsidized masterclasses with both Grace Balsdon and Kwan Browne, GB senior players. Allan continues to provide the mentoring role to the WRA as it develops into a club using his considerable hockey knowledge to guide its development. This has extended to students now watching live international matches and meeting the players, their role models.

 Annual TDA vs School matches have been played both by Men and Women's sides and now include a social with the students in a local Chinese restaurant.  

The impact of the WRA has seen the popularity of hockey increase dramatically in the School and is starting to have an impact on results. The girls had a great start to the 2018-19 season, with the U13 A&B teams beating St Lawrence, the U14A team winning their first two fixtures and the 1^st XI having their best performance in the county cup in decades.

 More recently major items purchased have included a facility improved to enable indoor hockey at around £5k, hockey sticks and clothing £3k, and a high quality video camera for students to analyse performance £2k.

A fun project has resulted in the display of the international shirts of Masters players Allan Mayo (England), Charlie Lane (Wales) and Andy Barlow (Ireland) in the new sports centre in the hope that it provides some inspiration for international recognition at whatever stage of life. A fitting place alongside the England Rugby gargantuan Maurice Colclough's legacy.

The school has had the confidence, in part from the WRA experience, to establish and finance hockey scholarships for girls. Not only does this identify and sponsor talent but alongside the WRA strategy and programme positions DOYRMS to become a Talent School, anticipated in April 2022 and as envisaged by the England Hockey Talent Development strategy and system. 12 students attended county trials at the Folkestone Development Centre as a part of England Hockey's talent development programme in 2018. Josh has been funded by the WRA to increase his hours spent on WRA development and with Dan is in the process of finding a second 'big name' coach to reduce the player coach ration to 10:1.

 The practice of supplying high quality, Dukie-branded sports clothing has continued and 200 WRA students now own gilets. The 1^st Teams continue to be provided with strips designed by students each year. 

We look forward to a novel festival event this year with the school and TDA men, women and mixed sides competing and followed by a pitch-side BBQ with players, staff and alumni guests on Sun 27Jun21 https://www.dukies.co.uk/events Do join us.

 The final word should go to the excellent work done by Dan and Josh as they embed the WRA programme within the structures and opportunities offered by the school but none of this would be possible without the continued financial support from alumni – this is where you come in, https://www.dukies.co.uk/clubs/view/white-rose-academy-hockey

 Charlie Lane

WRA Club

K, Wo, R '64-'72

Wales and West England Masters, 2011-