We now have a brand new website, which has been built from the ground up especially to suit our needs, and which shares resources with the websites of many of the local clubs, so that we can bring you even more Milton Keynes korfball than ever before.

The 2009 edition of Korfstock, the Milton Keynes korfball tournament, was a huge success on 18th July at the new venue of Woughton-on-the-Green with its larger astroturf and camping. The final was won by tournament team Vodka, the 2007 runners-up, after a victory over Leeds City. MK Bucks 1 came third for the third year running after beating 2007 champions Men in Black on sudden-death penalties. See the Korfstock page for full placings and photos….

Players from Oakgrove School and MKC Growth compete for a high ball.

On Thursday 11th June, Milton Keynes hosted its second Annual Charity Korfball Tournament for Companies.  Across six pitches at Loughton Sports and Social Club, 17 teams competed for the title won last year by the Sports Leaders.

We took £650 on the night, which should rise to £800 as the money trickles in, and it all goes to the Milton Keynes Community Foundation; in fact, the Government will double all the money we raise.  The Community Foundation do excellent work, and have been immensely supportive of our youth korfball programme; if you would like to further support them, please get in touch with them through their website.

The teams were fiercely competitive at times, but everything was in good spirit.  After 32 matches, we all settled down to watch the final between Oakgrove School and MKC Growth Giants.  This was another great game, and Oakgrove walked off deserved winners, completing a students-and-staff double (the school team won the KS3 section of the MK Inter-School Korfball Tournament on Tuesday).  The final standings were:

Oakgrove Teachers - Champions

1 Oakgrove School

2 Milton Keynes Council Growth Giants

=3 Rightmove

=3 P&MM Korfless

=5 Baker Tilly

=5 Sports Leaders UK

=7 Parks Trust

=7 MK Dons

=9 DRS

=9 Open University Huskies

=11 MKP

=11 Milton Keynes Community Foundation

=13 Hancock Motorsports

=13 Walton Rogues

=15 MKC Red Hot Chilli Planners

=15 West Northants Development Corporation

17 Simply EMW

18 Loughton Sports and Social Club

The Mayor and Darren introduce the tournament.

Oxley Park School hosted this summer’s schools korfball tournament in front of international korfball stars.

Norwich Knights’ Premier League player Charlie Vogwill has been playing korfball since he was at primary school. Ten years later he plays for Great Britain and next month goes to the World Games in Taiwan with the national side.

Charlie, and his Knight’s team mate Joe Stirling, gave a hand refereeing at the tournament and he was very impressed with what he saw. Charlie said ‘I started playing in Norwich when I was 8 years old. The schools
set up in Norwich is excellent and this has helped Norwich to build one of the country’s top senior teams and has helped me get into the Great Britain team and play around the world. But what I have seen in Milton Keynes is far better than what we had in Norwich when I started. There is a lot of enthusiasm and a great deal of talent’.

The Mayor of Milton Keynes, Cllr Euan Henderson, opened the tournament. Cllr Henderson said he was impressed with the achievements of the MK Youth Korfball Programme, MKX. In the last year 27 schools have taken up korfball and more than 2,500 children have started playing.

Champions Oakgrove School with England player Charlie Vogwill.

On the day, Oakgrove won the secondary school tournament beating Walton High into second place. There were strong performances from Shenley Brook End and Lord Grey schools as well. Oakgrove were the winners of the schools indoor tournament back in November.

In the primary schools tournament the top sides were only separated by
goal difference after 7 matches each. The eventual winners were Great
Horwood Primary with Wavendon Gate and Orchards of Springfield in second
and third places respectively. The other teams competing were Newton
Longville, Meadfurlong, Langlands, Oxley Park and Drayton Park.

A Great Horwood player tries to block an Orchard School pass.

Korfball continues to grow in the city thanks to the support of the Milton Keynes Community Foundation, Awards for All and the Bucks and MK Sports Partnership.

MKX run clubs on Thursdays at 5pm at Bletchley College and Fridays at 5pm at Oakgrove Leisure Centre. Sessions are for 8-14 year olds and new players are welcome. Go to www.mkxkorfball.wordpress.com for more details.

This summer MKX will take teams to events around the country including National Youth Day. Closer to home MKX will appear at Korfstock on 18th July which takes place at Woughton Playing Fields. Korfstock will have 50 adult teams and 25 youth teams competing plus there will be a family fun day and music event.

MKX is keen to work with more schools next year. Any school interested should email youth@mkkorfball.co.uk

The MK Korfball Tournament and festival of general korfball fun is back!

There is free camping available on the Friday and Saturday nights and we will be having a party on site in the evening until 11pm and then take a short trip into Central Milton Keynes where the clubs stay open to nearly dawn. There are cheap hotels in the city centre. Stay the weekend and go skiing, wake boarding or skydiving or visit the shops, Gullivers Land, the cinema or theatre (all within a mile) the next day. We would also like to look at a lazy game of Sunday morning korfball for anyone with the energy.

Entry fee is £40 for an experienced team (£35 for a second team), £30 for beginner teams and £20 for juniors.

We will have bouncy castles (FREE to bounce on) and other attractions (such as a snow board ride), activities for children and families with arts, crafts, face painting and live music plus other sports to try. There is a bar on site and there will be food to buy.

We will have 10 astroturf pitches with a tournament for experienced teams, for beginners and at U11 and U14 age groups.

MK goes large – come and join us.

So fill in an application form now to book your team’s place!

Why not try to get a team together from your workplace and win this year’s trophy?

Just £5 per player, and all of it to the MK Community Foundation.

MK Bucks now have an unassailable lead in League MK after winning their final two matches of the season on March 15th. Although close rivals Luton Hatters also won twice to seal second place, Hatters are now unable to catch Bucks due to not picking up a bonus point when losing to Bucks back in February.

Sunday’s full results were:

Colossus 14-1 MKX

MKX 1-14 Hatters

Hatters 5-1 Colossus

Bucks 8-2 Roos

Roos 9-3 Wanderers

Wanderers 6-12 Bucks

At the regional level, Bucks MRL team also picked up two wins, against Highbury and Norwich Ice, to move up the table.

The GB team will be training in MK starting 14^th March.  On that date they are at Stantonbury from 2-6pm.  They are happy for people to pop in and watch.

In total they will be coming to MK 17 times.  Go and watch and learn.  They may also run a few sessions for us, so watch this space!

There will be an exhibition game at Courtside on Sunday 1st March at 3:15pm.  The game is between MK Bucks and a combined side from MK City, MK Roos and Walton Rogues: the sides will each be composed, as much as possible, of beginners.

If you are a beginner, then get in touch with someone from your club whom you think might be in charge of the team, or just turn up in sports kit- this game is all about getting new players into games!

If you really don’t feel like playing a game yet, then coming along and watching a game is also a great way of getting to know the game better.

MKX (the Milton Keynes youth korfball club) and Walton Rogues (the new adult club, which trains on a Tuesday night at Walton High in Walnut Tree) both launched their websites recently.  Each is a good place to keep up to speed with what the club is doing, but MKX’s site also has the facility for anyone involved to add their own news items and blog entries; email youth@mkkorfball.co.uk to get the username and password to do this.