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2006/07 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE |
London, 2nd July 2006 |
[posted 02 July 2006] |
The RFA today published the schedule for the coming season's tournaments. They start with the South West Championships at the end of this month (see story below for the official entry form) and finish with the Scottish Championships in May next year.
The RFA would particularly like to encourage team managers to note immediately the dates of the two big team competitions: the Owers Trophy on September 30th/October 1st 2006 and the Club Knockout Finals weekend on April 14/15th 2007.
When possible, tournament entry forms will be made available on this site, and players interested in taking part should contact the tournament's organiser, whose name is published on the Fixtures page of this site, and whose contact details will be in the RFA Pocket Book. For the full schedule, click on the link below.
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| 2006/07 RFA tournament schedule |
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CFA ONE-WALL FIVES TOURNAMENT |
Westway Sports Centre, London, 18th June 2006 |
[posted 26 June 2006] |
On June 18th, the City Fives Association (CFA) held its first adult 1-wall Fives competition, bringing together Fives players of all codes as well as Irish and American Handball players. Also attending were the Irish National 1-Wall Champion, Dave King, and the Irish Handball Association’s International Officer, Tom O’Connor.
In the men’s competition, matches were timed, the winner being the player with the most points after 10 minutes. Using the International Big Blue Handball, there were interesting early encounters as the Rugby Fives players got used to playing over-arm shots above their heads, and the Eton players adapted to playing low, hard drives.
John Minta (RFA) and Dave Mew (EFA) met in a hard-hitting encounter, Chris Jones (RFA) lost in a very close match to American handballer Charlie White, and Rugby Fives doubles partners James Toop and Marcus Bate clashed in another quarter-final.
Having beaten a fellow Irish handballer in the quarter-finals, Dave King was joined by Pete Cohen (EFA), Dave Mew (EFA) and James Toop (EFA/RFA) in the semi finals. Despite having only played a few times, Pete pushed Dave King hard, albeit to no avail, and in the other semi final, James beat Dave Mew.
The final was played over 15 minutes and from the beginning Dave dominated. James managed to stay in the match but as soon as he got close, Dave upped his game with spinning serves and drives down the line, eventually wining 22-9.
In the ladies competition, Eton Fives doubles partners Dominique Redmond and Kerry White made it to the final beating some new Fives players from CFA schools in Croydon along the way. The match was very close, with Dominique coming through in the final minute to win.
The competition is the first of many 1-Wall competitions to come. Links have now been made to the American, Irish and Basque Handball Associations, and the CFA is trying to arrange more international matches and competitions. The other nations are keen to support 1-Wall Fives in England and this could be a fantastic way to get Fives players into international competition. Despite not having played before, everyone agreed that they picked the game up quickly and had an excellent time.
Look out for next year’s competition and please get in touch with James Toop if you are interested in playing 1-wall Fives or supporting and learning more about the City Fives Association’s work.
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| One-Wall Fives results |
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DERBY MOOR INVITATION DOUBLES TOURNAMENT |
Derby Moor College, 18th June 2006 |
[posted 23 June 2006] |
Won by Phil Bishop & John East in 2004 and by Hamish Buchanan & Stuart Kirby last year, this year’s tournament was won by John Beswick and local Derby student Matt Orr. In the final they came up against Bob Sandie, partnered by Chris Burrows from Oundle School, who had knocked out fancied pair Stuart Kirby and Charlie Robinson in a hard-fought semi-final. For Matt, who has only been playing at Derby Moor for two seasons, it was a first taste of success in what one competitor deemed “the premier Fives event in the East Midlands”.
Six pairs who went out in the early rounds contested two lively pools for the Plate. In the final it was the Derby Moor pairing of Robert Grey and young Ashley Hill, a semi-finalist in this year’s National Schools U14 competition, who beat Clive Butler and Grem McIntyre to win the wooden spatulas.
Inbetween matches Ian Roberts conducted an impromptu croquet competition on the grass surrounding the courts. John Beswick claims that the Y Club won that too!
Anyone wishing to be invited to play next year should contact either Stuart Kirby or Bob Dolby.
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RFA AGM |
London, 14th June 2006 |
[posted 22 June 2006] |
Ed Fuller was elected to the board of the RFA at the AGM in June, and takes over from Denise Hall-Wilton as RFA Club Manager.
Denise asked not to be considered for re-election to the board and, to mark her departure and to thank her for her hard work supporting Ladies Fives and managing the RFA Club, President John East presented her with a gift.
Alex Wilson also asked not to be considered for re-election, but the remaining board members were re-appointed as Directors. At the same time, the meeting also approved an increase in annual subscriptions to £30 for individuals and £40 for clubs and schools.
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SOUTH WEST OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS |
Blundell's School, Tiverton, 29/30th July 2006 |
[posted 06 June 2006] |
No sooner has the ink dried on the 2005/06 end of season rankings than entries are being accepted for the first tournament of next season. Organised by Wayne Enstone, the South West Open Championships will take place at Blundell's School in Devon over the weekend of July 29/30th.
Singles, doubles and plate tournaments will be played on the Saturday, with just the finals of the main competitions on the Sunday. Entry for each tournament costs £10 for RFA members (£13 to non-members), and completed entry forms must reach the organiser by July 17th.
For full details, click on the link below to download the entry form.
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| SW Open entry form [Word document, 40KB] |
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END OF SEASON RANKINGS |
RFA, 5th June 2006 |
[posted 05 June 2006] |
Hamish Buchanan has finished the 2005/06 season at the top of both the singles and doubles rankings, which were published today. This is the first time a player has topped both rankings at the end of a season since Neil Roberts achieved the feat in 2001, and the first time Hamish has ended a season as the top-ranked singles player since 2000.
His success comes after a season in which he won four of the seven Open singles championships, but he has only a narrow lead over Phil Bishop, who jumped to second position after wins in both the North West Open and National Singles. In fact, Phil is one of three Manchester Y Club members to make good progress up the rankings this year, with John Minta reaching the top ten for the first time after winning the Scottish Open singles, and Kevin Henry climbing 24 places to reach the top 20.
Also seeing the rewards for a good season were Johnny Nelmes (up to 9th), Chris Jones (12th) and Cambridge University's Alan Beverley, whose win in the Under 25s Championships helped him to a spot in the top 20. Highest new entrant was Hal Mohammed, winner of the Plate at the London Open.
In the doubles rankings, Robin Perry's win in the National Doubles saw him take second place behind his partner. But, as in the singles rankings, it was the Y Club members who made the most significant progress. John Minta and Phil Bishop's two tournament wins helped them jump up to third and fourth places respectively, while Kevin Henry retained his spot just outside the top ten after winning the Scottish Open doubles for the second year running.
Chris Jones, with two final appearances to his name this year, jumped up to 12th, while just behind him after two semi-finals this season were Jim Hughes and Alex Rew. Charlie Brooks climbed to 15th after his third successive BUSA doubles title, with his partner Alan Beverley not far behind in 20th.
For the full rankings, compiled by Dave Hebden, click on the link below.
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| 2005/06 end of season rankings |
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RFA CLUB SOUTH v NORTH |
Oundle, 20th May 2006 |
[posted 05 June 2006] |
12 players from the Veteran and Vintage ranks came to Oundle to play what might turn out to be the last match on the fine old 1930 courts, which are due to be replaced later this year by four new ones adjoining the Sports Centre. It was quite a nostalgic event, with three Oundle masters-in-charge (Roger Freebairn, Kevin Cobb and Tony Burrows) in the gallery, plus the retiring RFA Club manager Denise Hall-Wilton and a smattering of RFA past presidents, including Jerry Cooper from nearby Bedford.
The most entertaining single was the top match, in which the incredulous Bob Sandie went rapidly to 5-0 against a ring-rusty Dave Hebden. At 8-2, it looked as if the Yorkshireman was going to record a famous victory, but then Hebden found his touch and eventually took the game to 8. Said an exhausted Sandie afterwards: " I thought we were playing to 8. Whose idea was it to play to 11?"
South team manager Keith Puckle had packed his team with superstars, so the match result was reasonably predictable. But, the doubles were not all one-sided, with North 2 (Stuart Kirby and Brian Kirk) winning two of their games. North made up for it in other ways, too. On spotting Puckle's new shoes, Brian Nithsdale quipped: "Bit of a rash investment at your age, Keith?"
Many thanks to Tony Burrows and Oundle for hosting the event, which we hope will become an annual one. If the new courts are as true and fast as the old, the School will be fortunate indeed and fives will continue to flourish there.
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| North v South results |
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LONDON OPEN ONE WALL FIVES TOURNAMENT |
Westway Sports Centre, London, 18th June 2006 |
[posted 19 May 2006] |
Spearheaded by former national champion James Toop, the City Fives Assocation has been working on a project to introduce One Wall Fives to city schools in London, and they are to hold an adult competition to give all fives players a chance to try the game.
The first London Open One Wall Fives tournament will be held on Sunday June 18th at the Westway Sports Centre in London. Games will start at 1pm and are expected to finish at about 5pm. Players will use the Big Blue Handball on 3/4 courts inside at Westway, playing against the walls that surround the tennis courts.
The competition is intended to be an informal and fun afternoon, and should be a great opportunity for both Rugby and Eton codes to mix and play Fives together. The centre’s Eton Fives courts will be open all afternoon for anyone who is interested in playing, and there will be something (food/dinner/drinks) to follow the event as well, precise details of which will be confirmed soon.
For the time being, James is looking for an indication of who might be interested in playing, rather than accepting entries. So, for further information on the City Fives Association or to send James an email, click on the links below.
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| The City Fives Association
Send James Toop an email |
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NATIONAL WINCHESTER FIVES MIXED DOUBLES |
Bradfield College, 7th May 2006 |
[posted 13 May 2006] |
This year's event was particularly smooth-running. There were eight pairs on four courts, and almost everyone arrived on time, including a good Blundell's contingent, so a knock-out tournament was the ideal format.
The main tournament went much as expected, with no three-game matches; but as usual in this competition, there was a certain amount of unconventional fives as well as a lot of good-humoured effort.
Reigning champion Emma Seton had developed a new serve, which took veteran Bradfieldienne Denise Hall-Wilton by surprise in their first-round match; Ollie Beach found the nick repeatedly against Melanie Whitehead and then looked duly apologetic; Jessica Morton bravely came back from first-round injury to win the plate competition with her partner Richard Longstreet; and Alex Steel and Joe Lambert gave the eventual winners a good run for their money in the semi-finals.
The final of the main event was an extremely tight two-game match between two differing fives codes, neither of them Winchester. Emma Seton and Stuart Kirby from Derby Moor Rugby Fives Club - this year it was Emma's turn to arrive with a younger partner - played last year's finalists from Eton Fives, Dominique Redmond and Howard Wiseman.
As was to be expected, the Eton Fives pair used the buttress well, but the length game generally belonged to the Derby duo, and in the end it was Rugby Fives tactics which just prevailed, although ironically the winning Derby shot found the buttress. That completed an amazing treble for Emma this season, adding the Mixed Doubles title to the singles and doubles Winchester Fives titles she holds already.
Sadly, this was Paula Smith's swansong as Winchester Mixed organiser - she started running the event ten years ago. She and her son Sean are still the only pair to have won it twice. At the end of the day, she handed in the bag of gloves she had used over the years to encourage others (from Vodafone and further afield) to play the game. But she retained her own pair - just in case!
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| Winchester Fives Mixed Doubles results |
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SCOTTISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS |
Loretto School, Musselburgh, 29/30th April 2006 |
[posted 03 May 2006] |
A glorious weekend in Musselburgh saw John Minta claim his first ever open singles title and, in a double victory for the Manchester Y Club, Kevin Henry retained his doubles title.
In an entry dominated by the YMCA and White Rose Club, it was left to Ian Purvis to fly the Caledonian flag and fly it he did, defeating Kevin Henry in the quarter-finals to reach the semis with Dave Fox, John Minta and John Beswick.
Dave Fox, having been overpowered by John Minta in the first, showed glimpses of his best form in the second game. However, John just had enough to clinch it 11-9.The other semi, between Ian Purvis and John Beswick, saw contrasting styles, with powerful hitting into the nicks from John and superb retrieval, interspersed with fantastic drop volleys and reverse angles, from Ian. John took the first game, but Ian stepped up a gear to win the second and third games against a tiring opponent.
The final followed a similar pattern, with John Minta using his power, and Ian retrieving and putting his opponent under pressure with some fantastic touch shots. Ultimately, after two grueling previous matches, Ian began to tire, and although he fought back to 9-7 from 9-2 down in the second, John hung on to claim his first major singles tournament win.
After a particularly convivial evening in the Woodside Hotel, where the absence of Jeff Thomas was keenly felt, Sunday’s Doubles tournament got underway under yet more Scottish blue skies.
Reinforcements arrived in the form of Ian Roberts and James Marshall, and the tournament was played as a round-robin. The first match saw Kevin Henry and James win a tough three-gamer against John Minta and Roger Butterworth, before going to win the rest of their matches, allowing Kevin to retain the title he won last year.
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| Scottish Open results |
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NATIONAL VINTAGE AND MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS |
Derby Moor, 22nd/23rd April 2006 |
[posted 25 April 2006] |
The National Vintage (over 55) and National Masters (over 65) championships were held at Derby Moor for the first time in the hope of attracting entrants from all over the country. In the end 22 players came: from Manchester, Halifax, Derby, Bedford, London, Tonbridge, Horsham and Tiverton. There were no upsets: the defending champions won again in each case.
The Vintage Singles were played out by a small field before lunch. It fell to newcomer to the Vintage ranks, Robert Grey of the Derby Moor club, to take on David Hebden in the final, having beaten John Hawke in the semi, but even on his own courts Robert found David too much of a class act to handle. In the Plate John Hawke got the better of Grem McIntyre 16-14 in an all-Halifax final.
In the Masters Doubles Final David Bawtree won the cup he has donated for the fourth time, partnering Bernard Atkinson to victory over a wonderfully sprightly Jerry Cooper and his young partner Douglas Rice, who graciously volunteered to make up the pair so as to give the champions a run for their money.
The afternoon was devoted to the Vintage Doubles. In the first round a compelling three-game tussle between Martin Wilkinson & Neil Arnot and Bernard Atkinson & Douglas Rice was eventually determined by Bernard’s greater firepower. Bob Dolby & Robert Grey, Stuart Endersby & Jim Denham and David Hebden & Keith Puckle also advanced to the semi-finals where the champions were too quick and powerful for Bernard and Douglas and where newcomers Endersby & Denham, seeded Number 2, demonstrated touch and length to get them to their first final. As expected, though, David and Keith were in no mood to concede their crown to the boys from Bedford.
In a spirited Plate competition things worked out in such a fashion that the last match was the decider: Martin and Neil duly despatched Roger Butterworth and Graham Hobbs from the Manchester Y Club.
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| National Vintage & Masters results |
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SCOTTISH OPEN FIVES CHAMPIONSHIPS |
Loretto School, Musselburgh, 29th/30th April 2006 |
[posted 10 April 2006] |
Entries are now being accepted for the Scottish Open Championships, which are to be held at the end of April. Organised by Neil Roberts, both singles and doubles tournaments will be played, but - uniquely in an open tournament - players enter both individually. The draw for partners in the doubles is made on the basis of seedings, and guarantees an exciting competition.
Entry costs £8 for the singles and £7 per person for the doubles, and completed entry forms must reach the organiser by April 23rd at the latest. For full details, download the entry form via the link below.
Players who are entering the tournament are advised to book their accommodation as soon as possible. Word has reached the RFA that Musselburgh is hosting a big wedding on the same weekend, and many B&Bs are already full.
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| Scottish Open entry form [PDF, 84KB] |
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NATIONAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP (WOOD CUP) |
St Paul's, 8th/9th April 2006 |
[posted 09 April 2006] |
"We thrashed them," was Conor Minta's verdict as Dad John and his Y Club team-mates beat the Alleyn Old Boys to win the National Club Championship for the first time since 2000. A more restrained, but no less delighted John Beswick simply picked up the Wood Cup and said, "Welcome home."
A series of last-minute withdrawals had depleted the number of competitors on the first day of the finals weekend, but there's no doubt the two top clubs reached the final. However, if the teams were expecting another close match between the two clubs that have dominated this championship for the last ten years, the reality could not have been more different.
Indeed, the top singles encounter was to prove an omen for the entire match: national champion Phil Bishop proved his mastery of the St Paul's courts by beating Hamish Buchanan to love. With John Minta and Ben Taberner also winning their singles matches comfortably, the Y Club took a healthy lead into the doubles.
On one court, a repeat of the recent National Doubles final saw Hamish and Robin Perry share their two games with John Minta and Phil Bishop. But, next door, Ben and John Beswick showed no mercy, winning two games against Dave Hebden and Bruce Hanton for the loss of just three points, and effectively sealing the outcome of the match.
Once Phil and John had won their two games against Dave and Bruce, the result was in no doubt. Hamish and Robin won their first game against Ben and John but, with the Y Club by then in an unassailable lead, the Alleyn Old Boys had to concede defeat.
Overall, it was an excellent display by the Y Club, with one of the strongest foursomes to take part in this tournament in recent years. Little wonder, then, that the eventual result - 110 points to 60 - was the widest winning margins for some time.
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| Wood Cup results |
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NATIONAL SCHOOLS' CHAMPIONSHIPS |
St Paul's School, 3rd-6th April 2006 |
[posted 09 April 2006] |
With wins in both the singles and doubles at Open and Under 16 level in the National Schools’ Championships, St Paul’s continued its dominance of schoolboy fives.
In the Open tournament, the results were a repeat of January’s West of England Championships. The doubles title went to Chris Hay and Alex Seigel, while last year’s Under 16 champion, Daniel Tristao, played fives of a quality and maturity rarely seen in so young a player to claim his second singles title of the season.
In the Under 16s tournament, Luke Rowland scored a memorable double, claiming the singles title with a win over Ackland (Alleyn’s), before teaming up with Jamie Faber to win the doubles title as well.
As if to demonstrate the dominance of the school, in all of the above matches, not only were the winners from St Paul’s, so were the runners-up.
However, that’s not to say the other schools were outclassed. In the Open singles, for example, Leggett (Merchiston) did well to reach the semi-finals after winning a tough quarter-final in three games, while the Sherborne pair did likewise in the Open Doubles. And, with Plate wins going to boys from KCS Wimbledon, Christ's Hospital, Alleyns and Winchester as well as St Paul's, it's clear the game is being played to a high standard in schools all over the country.
It was in the Under 14s tournament that the St Paul's stranglehold was finally broken. Boys from nine schools entered the competition, and the outstanding player was Peter Hanton (Alleyns). He won the singles almost unopposed and then played a large part in the doubles, which he won with his partner David Bowden. His strongest singles challenge came in the semi-finals from Ashley Hill, the first ever entrant from Derby Moor Community School, but the St Olave's squad also performed with great credit in both singles and doubles.
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| National Schools' Championships results |
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NATIONAL VETERANS' CHAMPIONSHIPS |
Christ's Hospital, Horsham, 1st/2nd April 2006 |
[posted 03 April 2006] |
Neil Roberts marked his first appearance in the National Veterans’ (over 45) Championships by winning both the singles and doubles titles.
His victory in the singles came just four years after his most recent win in the National Singles Championship, and demonstrated why he remains ranked in the top five. He was in super form throughout the first day of the tournament and took the final against defending champion Dave Hebden with some powerful hitting.
He then teamed up with Wayne Enstone (making his first appearance in this tournament since 1997) to reunite a pair that won the National Doubles title nine times in the 1990s. And, as in the singles, Neil’s eventual victory was at the expense of former champions, in this case six-times champions Jeremy Schroeter and (on his welcome return to the competition after missing 2005’s event) Ian Fuller.
True to form, the four players turned on the style in a magnificent match that would have graced any tournament. Ian and Jeremy edged a tight first game, but Wayne and Neil fought back to take the next two games and, with them, the title.
Indeed, tough finals were very much a theme of this year’s tournament. Both plates were also decided only after gruelling three-game matches: Brian Nithsdale just edged out Tony Burrows to take the singles plate, while Stuart Kirby and Brian Kirk retained their Doubles Plate after a nail-biting three games against Robert Dalman and David Butlin.
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| National Veterans' Championships results |
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NATIONAL OPEN DOUBLES (CYRIAX CUP) |
Alleyns School, 25/26th March 2006 |
[posted 26 March 2006] |
Hamish Buchanan and Robin Perry have claimed their third successive National Doubles title - and, with it, the Cyriax Cup - after a win over Phil Bishop and John Minta at Alleyns.
Playing on their home courts, Hamish and Robin were always on top in a brutal and bruising final, which left the spectators gasping in awe, and occasionally wincing in pain. The London pair blitzed their way to a quick and comfortable win in the first game and, although Phil and John upped their game in the second, they simply could not resist the relentless power and athleticism of the defending champions.
Overall, though, it was a successful tournament for Manchester’s Y Club, with John Beswick and Ben Taberner (partnered by Neil Roberts and Paddy d’Ancona respectively) also reaching the semi-finals. For John, losing at that stage was doubly tough: not only did he miss out on the chance to win back a title he has won four times, it also meant he had to get to Derby by 10.30 on Sunday morning to play for the Y Club in a first round Club Knockout match.
If the final stages of the tournament represented a triumph for experience, that’s not to say the younger players were outclassed. BUSA champions Charlie Brooks and Alan Beverly had a fine win in the plate, for example, while London University students Dan Grant and Freddy Sjostrom reached the quarter-finals of the main competition, and the St Paul’s schoolboys Hay and Siegel put up a very creditable performance before losing to Matt Cavanagh and Chris Jones.
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| National Doubles results |
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NATIONAL UNDER 13 CHAMPIONSHIPS |
St Paul's School, 12th March 2006 |
[posted 25 March 2006] |
In an entry a little short of 2005 levels, 5 schools sent boys, together with much parental support, to take part in the tournament, held once again at St Paul’s. There were no entries from St Olaves, Stoke Newington and Clifton College but Loretto succeeded in beating the impending Scottish snow and flew down on the Saturday evening. Both Pilgrims and St Dunstans came with eight boys.
In the Singles pool games, 6 boys managed the maximum 44 points, so heralding a keen knockout contest. This indeed did not disappoint, with 16 boys in the fray spread across all schools.
At first, it seemed that Perriam and Allan from Loretto would meet in the final as they came from opposite ends of the draw, but Connolly from St Dunstans had other ideas and put paid firstly to Perriam in the 2nd round, then Allan in the final. Hills from Pilgrims and Stephens-Hemingway from Alleyns both made it to the Semis to keep their schools’ hopes alive.
The final started with a rush of powerful shots from Connolly, who had only played Fives for three weeks, and who won the first game 11-0. But Allan fought back, taking a 5-0 lead in the second until Connolly’s power and timing reasserted itself, the game running out 11-6. Meanwhile the Plate witnessed some close matches, with Stracey from Christ’s Hospital showing good stamina to win 12-11 over Hawkins of Alleyns.
Although St Dunstans did not take part in the Doubles in view of lack of experience, the competition was no less intense, with the games generally hard fought. Pilgrims, who had practised hard at Doubles, deserved commiserations to have 3 out of 4 teams in the knockout stage, only to be displaced by the single Loretto pair in the final.
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| Under 13 Championships results |
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WINCHESTER FIVES NATIONAL LADIES' CHAMPIONSHIPS |
Bradfield, 11th March 2006 |
[posted 15 March 2006] |
A spirited group of Oundle girls joined the normal elders of the ladies game, making a respectable fourteen competitors. The girls fitted in quickly and added much to the atmosphere of the day. As usual, a variety of formats were contrived to give the newcomers plenty of gentler fives but stretching the others to extremes.
One such game was the doubles match between Denise Hall-Wilton & Alexandra Steel against Kathryn Atherton & Caroline Makepeace - a gruelling one-and-three quarter hour battle. Denise and Alex's reward for the win was to meet Melanie Whitehead and Emma Seton in the final. None of them had played with their partners before and there were both amusing and serious moments in a friendly but hard fought match. Melanie and Emma claimed the win, and the Bradfield Bowl, for the first time.
In the singles, Caroline Makepeace played another three setter, but Oundle pupil Naomi Brass won through. The singles final was a cliff-hanging affair of a high standard. Dominique Redmond, the holder of the Crayke Cup, seemed to have the edge with her Eton Fives-style of service and buttress accuracy. But Emma Seton stuck to her outwardly calm-looking Rugby Fives style (from the Derby Moor Club) to win the crucial third game.
With it, she secured the Crayke Cup, her second trophy of the day and - having won the mixed doubles title in 2005 - a very impressive hat-trick of Winchester Fives titles.
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| Ladies' Winchester Fives results |
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WINCHESTER FIVES NATIONAL DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP |
Bradfield, 12th March 2006 |
[posted 14 March 2006] |
A bitterly cold late winter day saw 24 pairs converge on Bradfield, just far enough south and east to avoid the overnight snow, for the 25th 'Barnes Bridge'.
The first two rounds brought no shock results and relatively few close games. Brice and Moger squeezed past Kirby and Kirk, only to qualify for summary execution by Buchanan and Roberts in the next round; Barford and Butterfield, playing together after 13 years' absence, showed some of their old class in beating the Bury brothers; the young St Paul's pair of Corbin and Tristao, adapting rapidly to the buttress game, proved just too lively for their senior opponents in both rounds; and Maskell and Werkshagen eventually had the better of a tight match with Hodgins and McManus.
The top four seeds all made it through their quarter-finals in straight games, with the Wessex pair of Akerman and Mohammed looking particularly impressive in dismissing Maconie and Wilson.
The semis were both classic encounters. Fox and Hebden, the defending champions, were put under severe pressure by Akerman and Mohammed, who played top-class Winchester Fives to win the first game narrowly. The title holders came back strongly to take the second game, but the men of Wessex regained their best form to claim the third, with Akerman the oustanding player on court.
Next door, Hughes and Rew, who have honed their Winchester Fives technique steadily year by year, finally kept it together for a whole match, beating the luckless Buchanan and Roberts in two desperately close games.
The final was a good one, if not quite rising to the quality of the semis. The first game was extremely close, with all four players (none of whom played Winchester Fives at school) playing to a high standard. Akerman and Mohammed just had the edge in that game, and they proceeded win the next, and with it the match, relatively comfortably.
Hodgins and McManus, also from the Wessex Club, won a hard-fought plate final against local stars Marshall and Ronan.
The RFA is grateful to Bradfield College for the use of its courts and other facilities, and for providing an excellent lunch in a warm environment to fortify the competitors and spectators.
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| Winchester Fives National Doubles results |
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FIVES FEATURE IN MERCEDES MAGAZINE |
Mercedes Magazine, 10th March 2006 |
[posted 10 March 2006] |
The new Spring 2006 issue of the Mercedes Magazine features a six-page article on fives. Written by RFA Director Andy Pringle (a journalist in real life), it debunks the myth of fives as an elitist sport and describes his drive around the country to visit clubs where fives today remains true to its historical roots by being very much part of the community.
The piece, accompanied by excellent photography, includes visits to the Rugby Fives courts at Derby Moor College and Manchester's Y Club, as well as to the Eton Fives courts at the Westway Sports Centre in London. The magazine is distributed to people who have recently bought a new Mercedes, but RFA members can download a PDF of the feature by clicking on the link below.
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| Mercedes/Fives feature [PDF, 676KB] |
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RFA HANDBOOK 2004/5 AVAILABLE ONLINE |
RFA, 08th March 2006 |
[posted 08 March 2006] |
For those who did not receive the 2004/5 RFA Handbook, or who have simply mislaid it, the publication is now available from this site. Simply click on the link below to read a full review of the 2004/5 season, but be warned that it is a large file and may take some time to download.
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| RFA Handbook 2004/5 [PDF, 1.4MB] |
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LATEST RANKINGS PUBLISHED |
RFA, 01st February 2006 |
[posted 03 March 2006] |
Hamish Buchanan has retained his top spot in the latest singles and doubles rankings, published today.
Below Hamish, though, there have been some notable moves, especially by Phil Bishop and John Minta.
Phil’s wins in the National Singles and North West Open have pushed him into second place overall, while John makes it into the top ten for the first time. Ed Fuller has also made good progress up to seventh while, lower down, Alan Beverley’s fine performance in the National Singles sees him climb to just outside the top 20.
Hamish remains a clear number one in the doubles rankings but, after two tournament victories this season, Bishop and Minta are closing in on the top six.
Lower down, success at the BUSA tournament sees Charlie Brooks climb into the top 20, while Alan Beverley jumps 50 places and Jamie Pendergrass makes his first appearance in the rankings.
These latest lists take into account all events up to and including January's North West Open. However, they do not include the recent Under 25s and North of England Championships. The results of those will be included in the end-of-season rankings, which will be published in May following the Scottish Open.
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NORTH OF ENGLAND OPEN |
Durham, 25/26th February 2006 |
[posted 01 March 2006] |
Hamish Buchanan claimed his fourth singles title of the season with victory at the North of England Open, while Neil Roberts and John Beswick teamed up to claim their second doubles title.
Thanks also to a very high turnout of current and recent University players, the tournament had a distinctly youthful appearance. And, the pick of the younger players had to be Nicholls who played well against Beswick but succumbed to the extra power and experience.
In the quarter-finals, Kevin Henry had a good win over Chris Jones, but in the semis, experience told: Buchanan overcame Minta in three, and Beswick powered his way past Henry. In the final, Hamish dealt with John’s power shots and, with clever drops and angles, moved him around until tiredness set in, to claim another title.
After an evening at the Court Inn and the Dun Cow, the following day’s doubles saw some cracking matches. Korris and Widdup nearly nicked a game off Minta and Henry, while Under 25 champions Nicholls and Rider gave Buchanan and Jones a fright in the semis.
In the other half, a fresh Roberts dominated and ensured a place in the final with some fine length and crisp pace. The final looked like being a very one sided affair as Roberts and Beswick strolled through the first game, but Jones had different ideas in the second and, although Roberts and Beswick threw everything at him, returned it all with interest to ensure that the final would go all the way. In the end, though, the accuracy and power of Roberts and Beswick saw them home.
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OXFORD v CAMBRIDGE |
St Paul's School, 25th February 2006 |
[posted 28 February 2006] |
Cambridge’s win in the 2006 Varsity Match must go down as one of the most memorable matches ever. The result was the closest since 1928, and victory for either side hinged on the last two games of doubles, where Oxford needed to come out on top by six points.
Pendergrass and Furniss duly beat the Cambridge second pair to 3, only to find that current BUSA champions Brooks and Beverly had beaten the Oxford second pair to 1.
By this time it was nearly 8.30pm, the Cambridge 1st IV having been held up for several hours by an accident on the M11. The bottom half of the match had been completed before the Singles were eventually played at 5.30, followed by the top doubles.
Throughout the match, there were never more than 5 points between the teams, with Cambridge 2 up after the bottom doubles, 3 down after the singles, 5 up half-way through the top doubles, and winning by 4 points at the end.
Cambridge now boast 50 wins against 26 by Oxford.
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NATIONAL UNDER 25s CHAMPIONSHIPS |
Durham, 11/12th February 2006 |
[posted 21 February 2006] |
The largest ever group of competitors gathered for this year’s Under 25s in Durham. Thirty-four competed in the singles and sixteen pairs in the doubles.
Unsurprisingly, this resulted in some of the closest and most exciting matches ever. Kirk beat Barlow in a hard-fought three-gamer before doing well against 4th seed Brooks. In the quarter-finals, Durham captain Rider just squeezed past his Edinburgh opposite number Major, but the big story was Ed MMC. The triple-barrelled battleship beat the 3rd and 2nd seeds with something to spare on his way to a final with Beverly, the hitherto fairly untroubled top seed.
MMC gave it his all in a tough first game, but didn’t quite have the range of shots to overcome the stylish and worthy winner. In his last eligible year, Hillier showed a wise old head on equally old shoulders to take the plate from a field of 15 entrants.
The doubles games were quickly affected by intense court sweating so, suddenly, the volleyers and those who could play very early shots had a distinct advantage.
The eventual finalists did not have it easy. Nichols and Rider took three games to overcome scratch pair Grant and MMC, and Oxford pair Hardyment and Ronan gave their Cambridge opponents Beverly and Brooks a close second game.
The final was a joy to watch. Each pair gained a small but unbridgeable advantage in the first and second games, but the flowing and spectacular volleying of Nichols succeeded in overwhelming Beverly and Brooks in a convincing and loudly-supported victory in the third. An all-Cambridge plate final was won by Belassie and Abecassis.
Heartfelt thanks go to Durham and Paul Rider in particular. Thanks also to all the competitors for coming and being fairly prompt on court. Next year, the tournament will be held in London.
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| Under 25s championship results
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RFA v BUSA REPRESENTATIVE MATCH |
Christ's Hospital, 5th February 2006 |
[posted 10 February 2006] |
The representative teams were well matched this year, with a strong RFA side taking the honours in both singles and doubles and thus winning the match fairly comfortably in the end against a plucky BUSA team.
The RFA won the top five singles, although the students put up stout resistance. Beverly, playing top in the absence of the injured James Bristow, scored more points against Buchanan than he had previously managed, while Korris and Grant could both have won their games. Lee did well for a man based this season in the South of France, and Crichton at six won his game by a wide margin and reduced the deficit considerably.
Five of the first six doubles games were very close, with the second and third pairs coming out almost level on points; but Buchanan and Wilson, having been severely challenged by BUSA champions Beverly and Brooks in their first game, changed tactics and defeated their young opponents heavily in the second, ensuring that the RFA did not lose the overall initiative.
The exchange doubles were shared, each team winning three and losing three games. Beverly and Brooks played their best fives to Jones and Pringle easily, but then lost to Roberts and Stone-Lee when the match was already decided. Lee and Grant did well against Roberts and Stone-Lee but lost to Buchanan and Wilson; and Korris and Crichton came out level on their two games.
We are most grateful to Christ's Hospital for the use of their courts and facilities, and to team managers Alex Wilson (RFA) and Chris Jones (BUSA) for their organisation. Congratulations are also due to the irrepressible David Gardner, who came to support the BUSA team a mere eight days after his hip replacement operation!
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| RFA v BUSA results |
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FIVES NEWSLETTER |
Vol 1 2006 |
[posted 07 Feb 2006] |
The first newsletter produced since the formation of the Fives Federation has been published. For the first time, it includes news about both Rugby and Eton Fives, and is being sent to members of both Associations. To download a copy of the eight-page newsletter, click on the link below.
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| Fives Newsletter 2006 [PDF, 300KB] |
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NORTH WEST OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS |
Manchester, 28th / 29th January 2006 |
[posted 01 February 2006] |
National champion Phil Bishop continued his rich vein of form by winning both the singles and doubles titles at the North West Open.
After beating Paddy d'Ancona in the singles final, he teamed up with John Minta to claim the doubles title. It's Phil's third successive open title on the Manchester courts and, following their West of England win in October, Phil and John's second doubles title this season.
It was runner-up Paddy d’Ancona, though, who could arguably claim to have won the game of the tournament – a tough match against John Beswick, which Paddy finally won 12-10 in the third game.
In the doubles tournament, such close games were very much the order of the day, with the pick being the quarter-final clash between Jim Hughes & Alex Rew and Wayne Enstone & Kevin Henry. Jim and Alex eventually came back from a game down to win the second and third games – by 12-11 in both!
Phil Bishop and John Minta, meanwhile, made rapid progress to the semi-final, where they beat Ben Taberner and Paddy d’Ancona in two close games. Normal service was resumed in the final, though, and two relatively quick games took the local pair to the title – and Phil to his memorable double.
Nevertheless, according to official sources, the talk of the tournament was that Tim Lewis couldn’t stop talking about washing machines. However, it’s also worth mentioning that Phil’s wasn’t the only double at the tournament. Steve Korris also went home with two trophies after winning the singles plate and then teaming up with Ed Hatton to claim the doubles plate as well.
For a selection of photographs from the weekend, click here.
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| North West Open results |
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