News/Blog - Guildford Thunder Korfball Club

Annual meeting 2025!

15/5/2025

Today (15 May) is Guildford Thunder Korfball Club's annual meeting at Guildford Institute.

We'll be celebrating a season full of highs and lows as well as working out who will be doing all the hard work the club for the 2025/6 season.

We're looking forward to finding out who's been voted players' player for the teams and many many other awards.

Guildford Thunder turns 10

15/8/2024

Our wonderful korfball club celebrated 10 years on Thursday 15 August 2024 with a stylish party (naturally).

Games were played, drinks were drunken and faces old and new had a fun-pacled evening.

Mos importantly, there was cake!

High hoops - higher hopes

11/9/2023

This weekend sees 2 Guildford teams play in the Chris Carter Cup, with the first league korfball games for all teams starting in early October.

The club hopes to build on last season's excellent performance and growth - keeping the newly promoted first team in the regional league and moving the second team up into OKA division 1.

More focussed outdoor summer training plus competitive korfball tournaments across England (and the Netherlands) should give us a great boost to our skills and fitness at the start of the season.

Squad line-ups

Line-ups for the first, second and third teams will be announced in advance of the season's start.

As part of that, expectations for making the team have been revised to include a whole range of player attributes and attitudes.

To help that, the club has bought new korfball equipment to aid player development and cater for larger training groups.

Taking part

Having 3 teams and ambitions for promotion, the club has greater responsibilities to referee games. The club cannot function competitively if we do not have enough volunteers to train as referees and gain the necessary experience and confidence.

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered and we look forward to getting referees to be assessed for higher levels of competition to support our ambitions.

Fee freeze

There will be no increase in membership fees for this season and discounted annual korfball club membership is available if you make payment in October.

Remember to check the club WhatsApp for regular updates.

Spreading summer wellbeing through korfball

14/7/2023

Guildford Thunder Korfball Club took to Sutherland Memorial Park in Burpham last week, to demonstrate korfball to health-seeking crowds.

A team of 6 displayed our talents with some excellent distance shooting and runners, all done with expert commentary over the festival PA.

The demo was part of the annual Burpham Wellfest which showcases local wellbeing, fitness and socially conscious organisations from around Guildford and the wider Surrey area.

The club attended the festival as part of its ongoing recruitment drive and community outreach activities as it looks to grow in numbers and reputation in and around Guildford.

Our stand and pitch attracted an array of adults and juniors. These included lots of keen junior basketballers who got quite competitive - as did a number of the dads!

Thanks to all members who came out to support our stall and the demo at the festival.

Wellfest is run by Burpham Wellbeing and we look forward to returning for Wellfest 2024!

Kids n' korfballs: Thunder at the Surrey Youth Games

15/6/2023

Guildford Thunder will be supporting youth community sports this weekend as it demoes korfball to local kids.

Hosted at the Sports Park, the Specsavers Surrey Youth Games lets children from across the county try a new sport for free.

From 9 on Saturday, kids will be able to try out more than just korfball: climbing, Soft archery, fencing, skateboarding, martial arts, dance and circus skills will all be on offer.

The Games is the biggest multi-sport youth programme of its kind in south-east England.

The Games are for beginners who may not get the chance to attend clubs, or are inactive and put off by the thought of competing against others. The focus is on joining in, having a go and having fun, to learn new skills and boost confidence.

Check out the video of Surrey Youth Games 2022.

Thunder rolls into hot summer of korfball

5/6/2023

This Sunday saw a Guildford Thunder team travel to Cheam to take on the Korfball National Champions (or at least, their B team).

The sun was out for the Nomads tournament, which saw Thunder hop inside the M25 for an annual trip to meet teams from as far afield as Ireland.

Scorching skill levels

The heat was on for the heats in the morning, playing 3 fierce games, followed by a more evenly contested 4 games in the afternoon.

First up was a team from Bec, who ended up winning by 9 goals to 1.

A korfballer in blue and white looks to pass while being defended by a korfballer in red

Players stand watching a game, we can only see the backs of their shirts

This was followed by a tight 4 - 3 loss to Kingfishers.

The final game of the morning ended 8 - 5 to Cambridge City, so Thunder held its own against strong opposition, scoring 9 goals altogether.

Hot competition

With hayfever, factor 50 and sunglasses very much in evidence, the afternoon's seeded league format saw better results for Surrey's finest.

First up, Thunder put 4 past the University of Nottingham's alumni team, but unfortunately conceded 7 in return.

Our first win of the day was against local rivals, Farnborough Jets, with a 5 - 3 scoreline in Guildford's favour.

Another 5 goals, saw off a Nomads Old & New side, but only by a single goal in a really tight game.

Finally, a low-scoring 3 - 1 loss to Bearsted finished off the day.

Group 4 table showing Guildford in third place with 4 points and -2 goals.

A player in a blue-and-white 86 shirt referees some children playing korfball

Final results

This left Thunder finishing mid-table in group 4, which is a fair achievement given our total whitewash at last year's Nomads tournie!

The day also saw several players get their first experience of refereeing matches, including 2 of our youth players.

Overall, the tournament was won by Diablos, who beat The Antiques Roadshow by 5 goals to 3.

Summer tournaments are always fun and there are plenty of opportunities left to get some match time before next season starts in earnest.

See all the pictures of the day's events in our photo gallery.

Red carpet night: Guildford's korfball awards!

5/5/2023

Guildford's White House pub saw yet another fun-packed Thunder awards ceremony and annual meeting this Thursday (4 May 2023).

With nearly all members in attendance, and a 50% increase in membership since last year, it was a night full of cameraderie and team-spirit.

With an eye-on next season, members voted in a new club constitution, elected new committee members and heard from the coaches on individual and team amazing progress and challenging ambitions.

But most of all, we had some grub, a few drinks, a fun quiz and handed out a bunch of well-deserved medals.

A big thank you to everyone for being part of this amazingly successful, growing and inclusive club this year.

Those award winners in full

Top female scorers
Naomi (1st team), Laura (2nd team), Tash (3rd team)

Top male scorers
Will (1st team), John (2nd team), John (3rd team)

MVPs (as voted for by opposition teams!)
Will (1st team), Sophia (2nd team), Lucy, Mo, Elena (3rd team)

Best defenders
Ro (1st team), Tash (2nd team), Lucy (3rd team)

Best all-rounders
Simon (1st team), Michael (2nd team), Ben (3rd team)

Best supporting players
Alec (1st team), Rob D (2nd team), Rob F (3rd team)

Most committed
Si

Chair's special award
Alistair

Most unfortunate injury
Laura

Best fall
Ben

Best dancers
Hayleigh and Tilly

Worst shoe tying
Will

And of course ... the quiz winners
The Outsiders!

For all the pictures see the night's image gallery.

What a season! 2022-23's club korfball in review

16/4/2023

As the competitive korfball year came to an end this Sunday, it's time to look back on a fantastic, fun-packed, hard-fought, well-earned successful season.

There have been a host of achievements large and small, at a club level and personal level, that every player in this club can be proud of.

The stand-out achievement is - of course - our first team's performance in winning Division 1 and reaching the promotion play-offs. This is all the sweeter, given that at the end of the 2021-22 season, Guildford Thunder were a whisker away from relegation. It's all the more incredible given the season-opening Chris Carter Cup saw the team finish only third.

And this success for the first team has not affected the second team performance with a creditable fourth place in a highly competitive Division 2.

What's more, the creation of the third team has shown how well we've recruited as a club, and the team's performance has shown how novice players have really developed and started to gel as a team.

That third team wouldn't have been possible without new players, and it's been brilliant to welcome so many people into Guildford Thunder this year (particularly through our work with the University of Surrey) and to welcome back some familiar faces.

Of course, the success of our teams is due in no small part to our coaches, and it's been a real strength to be able to have expanded in such a well-supported way.

With the 3 teams racking up more than 550 goals this season, all the hard work on skills, communication and fitness in training are all paying off.

What's also given the team an edge this season is our splendid new threads, and it's a testament to the belief in the future of the club that we've been able to get our match-ready matching outfits because of our sponsorship deal with Pure Plastering (thanks Si!).

And this belief in our club and our achievements has been brilliant to see on our social media channels (particularly our new TikTok account) as well as telling the world about ourselves on BBC Radio Surrey.

In terms of personal development, this year has seen 3 of our young players complete their Bronze DofE Awards with korfball as their chosen physical activity.

Off the field of play, we've seen competitive action of a social kind on the bowling alley, in the boardgame cafe and (if eating ice cream is a competitive sport) at Creams too.

But what's next?

As thoughts turn to playing outdoors and next season, the club's committee is busy doing all the things that make the club run smoothly - making sure fixtures are agreed, courts are booked, and legal requirements and league commitments are met. On that front, with 3 teams we have greater refereeing commitments and the club has supported several players to become referees, bettering their understanding of their gameplay in the process.

As the playoffs beckon, we plan for what happens if the first team is promoted, and how we support the second team to promotion and bringing the third team up to a truly competitive level.

All fun problems to have for a successful and expanding club.

Roll on the summer friendly tournaments, the cup and the new season! Party!

When korfball was in the Olympics

27/1/2023

A hundred-and-three years ago - 1920 - war raged in eastern Europe, a pandemic had killed millions and a small island in north-west Europe demanded independence.

A turbulent time.

But also a time of increasing liberty and social improvement with women recently being able to vote in elections in many countries.

Into this maelstrom came hope. Hope in the form of sport: the sixth modern summer Olympics.

Peace, hope, sport ... and tug-of-war

Antwerp, Belgium’s largest city, had avoided the devastation of the First World War so it was the ideal location for the first post-war Olympics: a Games that exemplified peace with the release of doves at the opening ceremony and the first flying of the iconic, white, multi-ringed flag.

In a bid to make a success of this first Games after the War, the organisers were eager to drum up crowds introducing the latest sporting thrills of archery, rowing and wrestling.

And yet the Games held onto some throwbacks to their Victorian origins - officially retaining tug-of-war - an event more fitting to a village fête than the ultimate in international sporting endeavour.

A tug-of-war contest at the 1920 Olympics.

Alongside, this frankly weird inclusion came - as a demonstration sport - the magnificent sport of korfball.

A controversially inclusive sport

Just 18 years old at the time, korfball was something of a groundbreaking sport. It contrasted starkly with pre-War pursuits.

The Olympics themselves had been a somewhat upper class endeavour - after all who else could afford the amateur status that the Olympics demanded?

Korfball depicted in the 1928 Olympics official report.

And at the time, men and women playing together on the same team was seen as…not progressive, but controversial or even offensive.

Korfball players had been subject to accusations of immorality. Female players showing bare ankles and knees were more than frowned upon, and their for-the-time risqué outfits drew sharp words.

Yet due to the war, fit young male athletes were in short supply and that loosened the strictures that bound society’s values and morals. That meant it was time for progress, but it was an uphill struggle!

Getting korfball on the Olympic bill

Strictly speaking, as a demonstration sport, korfball was not a true international feat of skill. In fact, the match was a Netherlandish intra-national: the teams that competed were South Holland (not a country, but including the cities of Rotterdam and The Hague) and Amsterdam (also not a country). Still, it was kind of the Belgians to let their neighbours show off their favourite sport-of-the-moment.

To put on the game, organisers estimated they needed 1,400 Dutch guilders (around £12,000 in today’s money). By Spring 1920, only a third of that sum had been found and to avoid cancellation a fundraising 'Korfball Day' was arranged in April.

A Google Map showing the locations of Antwerp, South Holland and Amsterdam.

This did the trick.

That wasn’t the end of the shenanigans and wrangling, but basically it was now game on for the korf!

One summer Sunday afternoon in Antwerp

At 1pm on Sunday 22 August 1920 with the first Olympic korfball game due to start at 2pm, the players set off from their boarding house for the stadium a few kilometres south of the city centre. Unfortunately, their drivers got confused and headed north towards a fairground that had the copyright-infringing name 'the Olympic Games'.

In the end, the korfballers arrived at the Olympic Stadium with just 10 minutes to spare before the game start time!

The 1920 Olympic korfball match. From Wikimedia Commons.

Following typical Olympics style, field events and track events coincided. Korfball on the field was up against the marathon. Once the starting gun was fired and the runners settled in for their 2+ hours of track-based slog, the public was introduced to korfball.

As a demonstration sport, it was supposed to be a fair and equal game showing off its finer qualities. We have no commentary on the match, but rumour has it that fairness and equality might have been forgotten once the scoring started.

It finished 2-0 for South Holland which seems like a spectacularly low-scoring game - perhaps everyone was distracted by the marathon.

As the game ended at 3pm, the spectators could relax and watch the last gasps of the marathon.

The korfballers didn't stick around though - instead heading off for their train, and if things haven't changed much, a well-deserved cold glass of De Koninck beer at the station tavern!

A glass of De Koninck Bolleke.

The 1928 Olympics brochure.

Korfball's last Olympics

Belgium, ruined by war, was now ruined by a celebration of peace. The nation apparently lost more than 600 million Belgian Francs from hosting the 1920 Olympic Games. Ironically, the 1,400 Guilders contribution of korfball may not have been the big sporting money that was needed!

In 1924 the organisers of the Paris Olympics for some reason chose 2 types of fighting - savate and la canne - as demonstration sports: women did not take part.

But another 4 years on, korfball reappeared at the 1928 Olympics in (you guessed it) Amsterdam.

This time it was another demonstration match-up. The match-up pitted "Red and White" against "Red and Black".

We do not know the result.

International korfball since then

Antwerp was once again at the heart of international korfball in 1933 when it saw the creation of the International Korfball Federation.

However, it was not until 1978, that the World Korfball Championships got going.

Despite being played every 4 years since then, The Netherlands has won it nearly every time (other than 1991, when Belgium triumphed).

But that's not all.

Japan versus Australia. From the IKF.

Korfball has been a part of every World Games since the 1985 London Games, which included squash, rugby and, inevitably, tug-of-war

Chengdu. From Wikimedia Commons.

Each of the 10 World Games, the Netherlands has won gold.

And korfball will be back again at Chengdu's World Games in 2025.

We can't wait!

But we might have to wait at least 9 years for Olympic korfball.

Since the 1928 Olympics, we've had a sad and boring 95-year Olympic korfball drought.

A drought which won't be relieved at Paris 2025 nor Los Angeles 2028.

Perhaps Brisbane in 2032 will be our time and our place?

Brisbane: home of the 2032 Olympics.

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