RNC Sports Academy

13/08/2026

Huge congratulations to Lucja Wyrwantowicz (19) from Dunstable, Bedfordshire, who secured a Distinction* in her BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Sports Coaching and Development, an A in her EPQ, a C in A Level Psychology, and a Merit in the OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Certificate in Health & Social Care.

Already an England Blind Footballer when she arrived at RNC, joining the RNC Sports Academy allowed Lucja to take her training and athletic performance to the next level.

Her sporting highlights include helping the England Ladies Blind Football team secure silver at the World Championships in India.

She balanced her busy final year of studies and sports to train with her brand-new guide dog, Ulla.

Next stop for Lucja is the University of Salford, where she will be putting her passion and practical experience into practice studying Psychology of Sport.

Reflecting on her time at RNC, Lucja said:

"RNC has opened so many doors for me. I've grown as a person in many areas and RNC has let me do that through academic and sporting experience. I wouldn't have developed as much or grown into the person that I am without the support at the College, and I've made some lifelong friends."

Wishing Lucja and Ulla the best of luck as they head off to Salford!

13/08/2026

Geography A and EPQ A* for England Footballer Amelie

Huge congratulations to Amelie Ford (19) from Honiton, Devon, who is celebrating a fantastic set of results today. She picked up an A in Geography and and A* in her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), adding to the C in Biology and B in Psychology she previously took at RNC, alongside BTEC Level 1 and Level 2 passes in Braille.

Amelie’s journey at RNC has been exceptional. Having never played sports before joining. the College, she joined the RNC Sports Academy where her talent was quickly spotted. She earned a place on the RNC Blind Football Team before being called up to represent the England Ladies Blind Football Team, helping them reach the World Championship final in India last October.

Next up, Amelie is taking a well-deserved gap year with big plans ahead:

Playing for England at the Euros in Turkey this Autumn.
Working for a charity for the visually impaired in Italy, empowering others to travel independently - from navigating airports to climbing Mount Etna!

Reflecting on her time at RNC, Amelie said:

“Studying at RNC has been an amazing experience for me that’s really boosted my confidence and encouraged me to be able to be more independent, as well as getting me to the point that I can go to university.”

We wish Amelie the absolute best of luck in Turkey, Italy, and her future university studies.

06/07/2026

What a week.

As part of Work Experience Week, eight blind and visually impaired BTEC Sports Coaching students planned and delivered an inclusive sports festival for more than 90 primary school pupils.

Our students led every blind football and goalball session, growing in confidence and developing their coaching skills with each group they worked with. Despite last minute changes and challenging weather conditions, they adapted brilliantly and continued to deliver engaging sessions throughout the week.

A huge thank you to our three visiting primary schools for embracing the week despite the weather. Your enthusiasm helped make it such a memorable experience for everyone involved.

Real learning. Real responsibility. Real coaching. Real impact. 🔵⚽️

05/07/2026

⚽ Junior Disability Football ⚽

Branded as "Comets", it is a programme that offers children with a disability to take part in a football session catered to them. One of the best sessions that really does cater for all different disabilities, a safe space for children to come and enjoy football!

Want to know more? Get in touch with Scott, or turn up! Every Monday, 6:00pm to 7:00pm at the Herefordshire FA. The sessions are free, meaning it's more accessible to take part too!

03/07/2026

And that’s the final over of the season!🏏

A huge thank you to Bartestree & Lugwardine Cricket Club for hosting our final home fixture of the season. We’re incredibly grateful for the use of your fantastic facilities!

A special thank you to Tom and Dylan for all their hard work running the team throughout the season.

We’re also sad to be saying goodbye to some of our players who are leaving RNC this year. Thank you for everything you’ve brought to the team, and we wish you all the very best for the future. 💙🏏

29/06/2026

RNC's Blind Football team took to the pitch at St George's Park for the EE Disability FA Cup Final at the weekend. West Bromwich Albion Blind proved to be a formidable opponent and while the scoreline didn't go our way (full time 5-2), the grit, determination, and spirit of the RNC team shone through until the final whistle. A huge shoutout to Mikey Poulli for fighting back with two incredible late goals!

You can read the full match report here: https://www.rnc.ac.uk/news-item.aspx?id=350

You can watch the full match here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmIjFftJPBA&t=506s

Match footage of the Blind Final of the 2026 EE Disability FA Cup b...

27/06/2026

Want to watch this weekend's EE FA Disability Cup? Six finals will take place across the two days including Amputee, Partially Sighted, Blind, Cerebral Palsy, Powerchair and Deaf.

Here are all the ways you can tune in, with the Blind Football Final kicking off at 15:10 today (Saturday):

TNT Sports 3 (coverage of the Bind Final starts at 14:45)

HBO Max
[with accessible coverage of all six games. British Sign Language, with sub-titles (TNT Sports 3 & HBO Max) and Enhanced Audio Description delivered by an expert based at St George’s Park (TNT Sports 5 & HBO Max)]

Each game will also be made available later in the day for anyone to catch up on the England Football YouTube channel.

Good luck RNC!

25/06/2026

EE FA DISABILITY CUP : BLIND FINAL🏆

RNC Hereford vs West Bromwich Albion
When: Saturday 27 June 2026
Where: St George's Park
Kick off: 15:10

Live on TNT Sports 3 (Coverage starts at 14:45)

Huge good luck to RNC Hereford as they head to St George's Park this weekend for the FA Disability Cup Blind Final!

After an incredible season, the team has already picked up the League title and the Brian Aarons Cup. They’ve done the double... can they do the treble?

It’s going to be a massive battle against the current FA Cup holders, West Bromwich Albion, but Head Coach Adam Bendall has named a strong squad ready for the challenge:

The team which includes three current RNC students, comprises:

Azeem Amir
Shamreaz Hussain (RNC alumnus)
Dan Jenkins (RNC student)
Olly Johnson (RNC student)
Harrison Matthewman
Mikey Poulli
Toby Williams (RNC student)
Sam Meisel (Sighted GK)

Support Team:
Katie Christopher (Assistant Coach)
Lewis Skyers (Guide)

Go well RNC!

17/06/2026

16/06/2026

RNC Sports Academy Cricket🏏

On Sunday, RNC Sports Academy hosted at BT&W CC. With brilliant weather and even better cricket, it was a fantastic day all round.

We were delighted to secure our first win of the season, a reward for the hard work and commitment the students have shown throughout the year.

The progress made by our players has been huge. They have competed against some very experienced teams and players this season, and the improvement in their confidence, skills and understanding of the game has been clear to see.

A huge thank you to Gloucester Growlers for a great match, and to everyone who has supported the team throughout the season. We would also like to thank Burghill Cricket Club for the use of their excellent facilities and pitch, which helped make the day such a success.

One game left to go this weekend. Let’s finish the season strongly! 💙🏏