Since the earliest days of the College, sport has been a central part of a boy’s time at Eton and today there are nearly 90 different authorised school colours for the different teams a boy can be part of. The annual cricket match against Harrow at Lord’s Cricket Ground is one of the longest-running sporting fixtures in the world, having been played since 1805. A team of Old Etonians won the FA Cup twice. The Eight first rowed in the Henley Regatta in 1861.
This exhibition held in 2024, the year of the Paris Olympics, drew on objects from the College Collections, and looked at the contribution Etonians have made on the international sporting stage, including the use of the College’s rowing facilities in the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as the history of sport at Eton College from the 15th century to the present day.
The exhibition catalogue is available for download.