Laois students win world robotics award at US competition

A group of students from a small rural school in Co Laois have won the judges’ award at the Vex Robotics World Championships in the US.

Team RNS Robotics, made up of 11 students from Rosenallis National School, won the Engineering Division’s judges’ award at the event in St Louis, Missouri.

They are one of only five in the entire competition of 420 teams to win such an award, having displayed “outstanding energy and drive” across three days of the competition.

Principal of the four-teacher school Rory Walsh, who is with the team in Missouri, said they are “still in shock”.

He added the school “couldn’t be prouder of them and their journey”.

The students, aged from nine to 12, set off for the competition in the US last Saturday after weeks of fundraising and preparation.

In February, the school made history as the first Leinster school to be crowned All Ireland champions in the VEX national robotics competition, beating schools from all over the country and qualifying for the world finals.

Within ten days, the school and parents had fundraised €100,000 for the trip.

President Catherine Connolly wrote a letter to the students, commending them on their achievements and wishing them well at the competition.

The VEX Robotics World competition brings together teams from over 50 countries, each designing, building and programming robots to compete in a series of head-to-head matches.