Third place and unfinished business: how Scarisbrick Hall School is going back to Malta

John Rimmer had never played Minecraft. He had never played Rocket League. He was no longer a classroom teacher. And last September he was handed a school esports programme and told: you’re in charge now.

A month later, the team he inherited came third at the inaugural School Esports World Championships in Malta. They lost their semifinal in extra time and watched the final from the crowd. In November, they are going back.

At a glance

• Bronze at SEWC 2025 — a semifinal lost in extra time.
• Two weekly groups — 16 pupils from Years 5 and 6, and around 20 older pupils on Thursday afternoons.
• Unbeaten in qualifying — the team won every match of the ECIS x DAIGON competition.
• Almost no extra cost — computers that needed replacing anyway, and no additional licence fees through DAIGON.

How it started

The programme began with Mrs Hamner-Bird, then head of maths, and the headmaster, Mr Shaw, who had been watching what esports was doing in schools. She built the programme and ran it for a year, then left for another school. John, a Study Supervisor who knew the pupils and had been to the ISA national finals in London, was asked to step in. What he did not know was the games.

“I had never played either Minecraft or Rocket League before. But since taking over, it’s been really good to see how much it encourages those children who aren’t necessarily on a sports team to join up, and gives them a feeling of teamwork and a feeling of belonging.”

— John Rimmer, esports coach

What a session looks like

Pupils log on, join the DAIGON servers, watch the welcome video and get to work. John sets expectations for the session, and then the room comes alive.

“You could hear chatter. They were helping each other, giving each other hints and clues. It’s really good to see them joining together as a group, not solely kids you would normally put together as friends, but people helping everyone else in the room.”

What it cost

The financial story is simple. The school invested in one dedicated room, but its computers needed replacing anyway, so the upgrade cost little beyond what would have been spent regardless. A second room is waiting on a memory upgrade. Minecraft Education and Rocket League come through the DAIGON partnership at no additional licence cost. The programme essentially arrived for free.

Malta, the first time

SEWC 2025 was John’s first major competition in charge. Many of his players were from Year 5 and younger, and he knew they were good. The team won its way into the semifinals and fought all the way to extra time. Then it lost.

“We lost out in extra time in the semifinals. And it was gutting. You could see when we were sat watching the final how disappointed they were.”

They took bronze on stage, and came home. Nearly a year later, on our call, John was still wearing his PlayCon lanyard. Within a week of getting back, two sets of parents had asked whether they could go again. “They could see how amazing it was for the children to travel abroad and take part in such a competition.”

The road back

John assumed an age-bracket change made the boys ineligible for the ISA tournament, so he entered them in the ECIS x DAIGON online competition instead. After weeks of practising against younger teams, they won every match they played.

“The last match, they just ran riot. You could hear the chatter and the energy. They were aiming for thirty nil.”

Scarisbrick topped the table. One player has left on a rugby scholarship and a couple of newcomers have joined, but the core of the bronze-medal team is the core going back to PlayCon.

The Year Sevens watching

Something John did not anticipate: the younger pupils started paying attention. “I’ve already got kids in Year Seven saying that if they don’t qualify this time, they want to go for a twelve-plus tournament next year.” Joining the esports club and ending up at a world championship is no longer abstract.

“It shows that anything is possible. The boys we bring are not necessarily the most sporty, but they’re a good group. They work well together and they show that they can do anything if they’re given the chance.”

Who fills the room

Last year’s team was roughly half pupils who also played sport and half who did not; some academic, some not. What they shared was that they showed up and worked. “Kids who may not necessarily be the best at esports still get the opportunity to join in something they can feel a part of.” For some, esports is not just a club. “They find that esports gives them a place to be.”

What changes this year

This year the whole school will be watching. “The eyes of the school should be on it,” John says, and the marketing team has already asked to feature the programme on the school website. In Malta, the group will skip some organised activities to give the boys more downtime and see the island on their own terms.

“I would love to see them on the stage. If we can get to the final, fabulous. If they don’t, I just want them to know that they’ve left all they have on that playing field.”

What John wants you to know

He did not hesitate. “That we’re building a place to belong, whoever you are. We want you to feel welcome, and to be able to join in no matter your ability, and we can take you to new levels and to different heights.”

“We had a great time in Malta last year and are so excited to be heading back in November. We really want to make it to the final this time.”

— A Scarisbrick Hall School pupil, SEWC 2026

Back to the stage

Scarisbrick Hall arrives at SEWC 2026 with unfinished business. They know what the stage at PlayCon looks like, and what it is to be minutes from the final and lose it. John took over a programme he did not ask for, in games he had never played, kept the pupils together, and watched them come third in the world. They are ready.

“If you had asked me ten years ago whether I would be supporting an esports club at Scarisbrick Hall School, I might have had my doubts. But having seen our pupils’ passion and the way they are thriving as a team, I have no doubt that esports will play a huge part in the future of our school. These experiences bring our RIVER learning philosophy — resilience, independence, values, exploration and reflection — to life.”

— Mr Shaw, Headmaster, Scarisbrick Hall School

Scarisbrick Hall School competes in Minecraft Capture the Flag at the School Esports World Championships 2026, Malta, 18–23 November. It qualified through the ECIS x DAIGON Esports Competition.