On Friday May 9, the Athletic Ground in Richmond, London, witnessed an exhilarating battle of rugby and netball teams, as surveying firms from across the UK competed in the Surveyor 7’s Tournament.
The Surveyor 7’s Tournament is one of the year's largest property charity sporting events. A national tournament that has become a platform for teamwork, and sportsmanship and in more recent years has become a charitable event, this year raising money for OddBalls Foundation and Pancreatic Cancer UK.
Two teams took to the field to represent Fisher German. In 2023 the Fisher German rugby team emerged as plate winners and last year our netball team scooped the runners up title. This year both teams faced stiff competition but still made their way to the semi-finals.
Our rugby team, put together and coached by Sam Peters, one of our graduate surveyors, won their first two games against Graham Sibbald and Business Critical Solutions but lost their final pool match against CBRE.
Following a great run in the group stages, they qualified for the plate quarterfinals where they put up a strong performance against Berkely Homes and advanced to the semi-finals. Here, they met a strong JLL side who ultimately ended another valiant run in the plate competition at the semi-final stage for a second year in a row. The quest for a second Plate victory still goes on!
The rugby team was made up of a mix of players from 7 offices and included: Harry Keam, Callum Wooff, Jonny Hosein, Nick Price, Max Fellows, Ben Sandiford, Alex Morrison, Angus Laughton, Bill Davies, Joe Senior, Toby Risebrow and Henry Loarridge.
Sam, who works in our investment team in our London office, said: “For me, it is not just about the game and catching up with colleagues across the Fisher German network but it’s also a chance to reunite with university friends and network with peers outside the business. It was great watching our netball team too, they did a fantastic job, and we enjoyed supporting them from the sidelines.”
Martha Waterfall, a graduate surveyor in our infrastructure consultancy team based in Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire, organised our netball team. They faced an early setback in the group stages with a narrow two-goal defeat to Knight Frank. However, their confidence was quickly regained to secure victories against Lambert Smith Hampton (23-3) and BNP Paribas/Strutt & Parker (12-2).
Their impressive form carried them into the quarterfinals, where they faced CBRE. Here FG were victorious with a hard-fought 9-7 win, earning them a well-deserved place in the semi-finals against Savills.
The semi-final proved to be both an intense and physical battle, with our team showcasing remarkable defensive strength led by Emily Wilcox and Izzy Ferguson. Despite their efforts, they narrowly missed out on a spot in the finals.
The tournament was a testament to the team’s skill and determination, with the team line-up featuring Martha Waterfall, Olivia Duncan, Debbie Kenney, Izzy Ferguson, Emily Wilcox, Katie Lea, Sarah Connell, Emily Billson, Charlotte Brodie, and Charlotte Atkinson.
Martha said: “It was a brilliant day and a tremendous team effort. Throughout the day our teams displayed high standards of play and we all thoroughly enjoyed taking part, getting to know each other as well as meeting other teams. The Surveyor Sevens Tournament isn’t just about rugby and netball, it’s about camaraderie, competition, and supporting worthy causes. Not to mention the support of others, not necessarily taking part, but willing to stand on the sidelines and cheer both teams on. We are incredibly thankful for all the players who took the time to attend training sessions, and we look forward to competing again next year”
A huge well done to every player for their incredible effort, and heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out to cheer the teams on, from near and far.
