Published on: 11 March 2021




In a first for the Senior School House Arts Competition, boys will now have the opportunity to put their gaming skills to the test in an eSports competition.

During a pilot event that took place to test the technology and determine qualifiers, students from Craigie and Noake Houses became virtual race drivers, competing to set the best lap times, many of them working with co-drivers who guided their decision making and racing lines. The boys embraced the challenge with excitement, fiercely competing to qualify for a spot in the grand final race, which will be live streamed to tutor groups later this term.

When asked why eSports was added to the competition, Digital Learning Co-ordinator Mr Robert Dodds said, “We are always looking for new and innovative ways to engage boys in the House Arts Competition for the Beatty Cup, and the phenomenal popularity of eSports made it an obvious fit. Global audiences for eSports now rival those of Formula 1 Racing.”

Mr Dodds also explained the developmental benefits of playing eSports, “While often mistaken for simply playing a video game, eSports is a collaborative challenge that enables students to develop teamwork, communication and critical thinking skills, as well as actively develop the parts of the brain which manage cognitive planning, social behaviour, memory and coordination.”

The event was well received by the boys and has generated a great deal of interest from the students who believe that this event has the potential to become a regular Beatty Cup event.