school are: Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Canoeing, Cricket, Cross Country, Fencing, Fitness Training, Football, Hockey, Netball, Rounders, Rowing, Rugby, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball, and Ultimate Yo-Yo Traditions Every year pupils at the school run a cross-country race called the Hull Cup. The origins of this competition are said to be found with Hereford Cathedral organist Percy Hull who believed that the choristers at the time were in poor shape and so demanded that they take part in an annual run. Although there is no official school song, the de facto school anthem is the hymn Jerusalem (English Hymnal 656A). It has become a school legend that the singing of this hymn during an assembly in the Cathedral on Friday, 27 May 1983 was heard outside Marks and Spencers in High Town. The hymn is a popular choice in weddings, memorial services and funerals of Old Herefordians. House system Upon entry into the school every pupil is assigned a house. The houses are as follows: The four extant houses are: Langford (after Charles Langford, Dean of Hereford and benefactor 1607), Stuart (named after King Charles I, benefactor 1637), Somerset (named after Sarah Seymour, Duchess of Somerset, benefactor 1682) and Cornwall (named after Richard de Cornwaille, first known headmaster of Hereford Cathedral School, 1384). Before the abolition of boarding at the school, there were also separately named houses for boarders, namely: School House, Number 1 (Castle Street) and Old Deanery. In those days, Cornwall, Langford, Somerset and Stuart consisted entirely of day pupils. Uniform In the senior school (years 7–11) pupils are expected to wear a blazer with school crest, navy pinstripe trousers or skirt, plain white shirt, and an authorised school tie for boys. In the sixth form pupils are allowed to wear a grey, navy or black suit with authorised school tie. School ties include: house ties, sports colours, the Dean's Scholar tie, the sixth form tie, and various other ties awarded for specific contributions to the school. Headmasters 1385 Richardus de Cornwaille 1583 — May 1590 Thomas Cooxey 1595 — Povey 1637 Clement Barksdale 1669 Richard Gardiner, DD 1686 Robert Phillips 1687 Thomas Gwillim 1689 Richard Treherne 1711 John Rodd 1731 Thomas Willim 1748 John Stephens 1749 Richard Traherne 1762/3 Reverend Gibbons Bagnall/Thomas Horne 1778 Abraham Rudd 1784 Robert D. Squire, MA 1803 Reverend Samuel Picart, BD 1807 Charles Taylor, DD 1826 Charles Taylor, Junior, BD 1839 William Henry