Read on to find out the schools' views on their 2021/22 seasons. Missing reports will hopefully be added shortly...
Aldenham
Aldenham in the Turnbull Trophy
No report received yet
Belmont
No report received yet
Berkhamsted
N/national Schools' Winners
Hughes and Pett Cup winners; Derek Whitehead Trophy; Scholars & Rogues
The 2021-22 season has been an incredible year for Berkhamsted Fives across the board. We played an impressive 84 fixtures across the Michaelmas and Lent terms with representation all the way from U10 to U18 across the Castle, Kings and Prep sites from 248 pupils. It was also wonderful to see the huge range of opposition across the season including Highgate, Charterhouse, Ludgrove, Holyport, Mill Hill & Belmont, Cranleigh, Eton College, Stowe, R/repton, QEB, St. Olaves, Uppingham, Harrow, Sunningdale, RGS High Wycombe, Summer Fields, Westminster, Westminster Under, Aldenham, Emanuel, Shrewsbury and Ipswich. It was also great to have a couple of cross-over fixtures with UCS and St. Pauls who play Rugby Fives, which is another variation of the game.
The Fives programme always begins with the inter-house competitions. This year there were 281 boys taking part from Y7 – 10 (year 11 being cancelled due to bad weather). Tilman once again claimed the illustrious Paul Dicker Cup for overall House winning the Y7, Y8 & Y10 competitions.
The season always culminates with the Schools N/nationals. 202 pupils took part across the Lent term and this year saw Berkhamsted bring home an impressive haul winning the U12, U14, U15, U18 Girls, U13 & U15 Team Competitions, and the U13 Rugby Fives N/nationals for both Singles & Doubles. These N/national results see some of our first Open Trophy wins since 1972!
U18s Captain: Jack P
The senior programme has always been a challenge at Berkhamsted School, with pupils pulled in all directions for both main term sports as well as academic commitments. Nevertheless, we had a fine team of loyal players across the two terms who represented the school throughout the season. Jack P has been a stalwart of the team since the Prep courts were first built back in 2014 and he first took up the game in Y6. He has devoted much of his own time, playing in a number of adult tournaments and League matches across the season, notably the U25s where he reached the final, the Turnbull Trophy (OB/Coach & School Pupil tournament) where he paired up with OB Alex Rattan and reached the semi-finals. His hard work paid off with the end of season N/nationals which saw him and partner Charlie D reach the semi-finals of the U18 Open Competition; the first time Berkhamsted has reached this stage since 2007.
My thanks go to this years’ leavers who all represented the school, Jack P, Charlie D, Matthew F, Joe H and Oliver T. We wish them the best in all their future endeavours and hopefully welcome them into the thriving Old Berkhamstedians team in the near future.
U16s Captain: Sam K
The 16s programme suffers from the same constraints as the U18s, but we still managed to play 11 fixtures across the two terms against a variety of opposition. Our top pairing of Sam K & Barney B had a good run at the N/nationals which saw them reach the quarter-final stage before losing out to eventual winners St. Olaves.
U15s Captain: Douglas L
What a year it has been for the U15 squad! They represented the school with 20 fixtures across the two terms with our top pairs being challenged, playing up against U16 & U18 opposition. Sundays can often prove a tough day to get players out due to many other outside sporting commitments, so it was so pleasing to see 19 players take part in the Hughes Cup U15 N/national Team Competition with 3 teams taking part in total. The 2nd team made it to the semi-final stage before losing out to our Berko 1st team (Noah H, Ben S, Olly S, Oli F, Doug L & Charles C) who then went on to take the win for the first time in Berko history against St. Olaves in a tight 2 – 1 final.
At the U15 N/nationals 30 pupils took part across the Qualifier and Main N/nationals competitions; the Qualifier saw Zac U & Sam K reach the quarter-final stages. In the main competition Noah H & Ben S had an incredible run all the way through to the finals to play against St. Olaves. Up until this point, they had pushed through each stage quite comfortably; the final saw a few nerves from the boys before they won the first set in a close 12-10 win. With a set already under their belts they walked the 2nd and 3rd sets comfortably 12 – 1, 12 – 2 with some high quality and flawless play from both the boys.
U14s Captain: Kasey T
Despite a run of bad luck with a number of cancelled fixtures due to weather and Covid, the U14s squad has worked hard all season to stay at the top of their game. Our top pairing of Ed H & Theo P had an unbeaten season winning all their matches against opposition schools. Both the boys also played up a year taking part in the U15s Hughes Cup tournament in our 2nd team squad having a very closely fought game at 2nd pair against their fellow U15 Berkhamstedians.
Unfortunately, Theo P suffered a concussion during rugby training which put him out of this year’s N/nationals, but fellow U14 teammate and 2nd pair player Tom A (who had also gone through an unbeaten season) stepped up to the 1st pair slot alongside Ed H for their N/nationals entry. In a similar vein to the U15s they had a solid run through the competition all the way up to the final where they came up against a talented Highgate pair. Also, like the U15s final they were extremely nervous and in the 1st set found themselves 6 down very quickly; they bounced back strong though, and the game went to the wire before they claimed the 1st set 13 – 11. Just to put their coach on edge even more they did the same in the 2nd set going 0 – 7 down before fighting back and again taking the win in a close 15 – 12 game. It wasn’t until the final set they found their stride and played some unbeatable Fives clinching the set and the 2022 trophy with a solid 12 – 2 win.
U13s Captain: Zac S
Of all the teams, the U13s have had one of the busiest seasons, playing a record 27 fixtures across the two terms and having the most success with an 82% win ratio. They also represent the largest squad in the school with 45 players taking part regularly, which presented a challenge coaching them on only 6 courts. The year group also shows real strength and depth with our 1st, 2nd and 3rd pair players moving around most fixtures.
In the Pett plate (named after our retiring MiC) U13 N/national Team Competition, two teams entered with the 2nd team (Shann P, Harry B, Jonny R, Toby S, Eisa B & Sean W) winning the Plate competition, while the 1st team (Rocco F, Louis C, Archie S, Zac S, Oscar S, James B & Oscar B) took the overall win making this the 3rd year in a row Berkhamsted has one this competition, and again seeing an all-Berkhamsted final as they took on the U12 squad.
In the U13 N/nationals Louis C & Archie S made it to the final before losing out to a very strong Sunningdale pair in straight sets, though they made sure their opposition had to work hard for the win.
The invit/national and illustrious Prep Championships also saw our top 4 pairs taking part, though another concussion meant we were missing one of our top players Oscar S. With the strength and depth though we saw our 1st pairing of Archie S & Oscar B and 2nd pairing of Rocco F & Zac S both make the semi-final stages. Unfortunately, it was here that both their runs ended against Ludgrove and Sunningdale schools respectively. Berkhamsted still walked away with some silverware, however, thanks to some fine play from Jack T & Theo L-E who walked away with the prestigious Jeremy Marston Salver defeating Highgate 1 in the final.
For the first time ever, 7 boys took to the courts at St. Paul’s School in Barnes to try their hand (pun intended!) at the game of Rugby 5s. None of our pupils had ever stepped on court before, let alone seen a game of Rugby Fives, so it was all a fast-learning experience on the day. It was a thrilling result then to see Berkhamsted walk away with both the Doubles and Singles N/national titles won by Lawrence F & Josh F and then Josh F also taking the singles title.
U12s Captain: Charles A-B
The U12 squad is always an enjoyable team to take, having a wonderful mix of squad players coming through from the Prep as well as new pupils join the school keen to take up the game for the first time. Many of the former Prep pupils were introduced early to the game over the Covid summer term back in 2021 with a regular afterschool club run by myself and Miss Pugh which put the pupils in good stead ready for the 2021-22 season. They also had an impressive fixture card with 24 matches taking place across the two terms and the 2nd highest win ratio of 71%.
The squad saw around 40 pupils taking part on a weekly basis. The afterschool sessions were superbly run by Mr Foster who introduced a new quick-fire version of Fives (aptly named Foster 5s by the pupils!) and a running league table week on week.
A team of U12s (Seb G, Felix S, Ben H, Beau C, Charles A-B & Matthew B) played a year group up in the Pett Plate U13 N/national Team Competition and made it all the way to the final; they eventually lost all 3 pairs against their fellow U13 rivals, but all the matches were closely contested and played in great spirit.
The strength and depth were also clear to see at this year’s N/nationals with 5 pairs making the quarter-final stages, though again missing one of our top players, Seb G, due to another rugby concussion. Seb still joined us on the day, however, and kept spirits high across the day supporting and encouraging all his fellow teammates from 1st pair down to our 14th pair. Charles A-B & Connor F had a great run through to the semi-finals before losing out to a strong Sunningdale pair. Our 1st paring of Felix S & Matthew B had a pretty comfortable run all the way through to the final stage (again similar to our U14 & U15 1st pairs). The final against Sunningdale was always expected to be a tight match and so it was with the 1st set going one team’s way and then the other; but some fine set-piece play from both our boys saw them claim valuable points while also denying the opposition any, allowing them to take the set 12 – 8. The 2nd set was again very close with neither side holding the lead for very long. In the end the Sunningdale boys managed to get the upper hand claiming the game 9 – 12. A quick team talk and coaching points from Fives maestro Mr Campbell saw the boys jump back on court with a newfound vigour and energy; they got an early lead in the 3rd set which Sunningdale never recovered from allowing them a solid 12 – 5 win. The 4th and what was to be the final set saw a similar trend with Matthew & Felix never letting up the pressure and again walked away with a convincing 12 – 5 win and the 2022 title.
Girls
Back in 2019, after a number of years of work, the girls’ squad was just beginning to take shape with regular practices and an ever-growing fixture card. Unfortunately, covid hit this programme the hardest and we are now currently undergoing another rebuilding programme back from the beginning. Despite this set-back there were still a number of dedicated players across the year groups who worked hard to make training sessions and practices in their already busy timetables. The U14s in particular have been a hardworking and dedicated squad of players which saw Bea S & Ashley D-S reaching the U14 N/nationals Final before losing out to a very strong Highgate pair.
The highlight of the season, however, came from our top U18 pairing of Bethan M & Lola H; these two started right back in Y6 in 2014 when the Prep courts were first built and have remained fully committed throughout their time here at Berkhamsted. Despite having exceptionally busy training programmes with other sporting commitments, they have worked extremely hard across the year playing in fixtures when they can, often against senior boys’ school opposition pairs. Despite not having much time on court to train, they entered this year’s U18 Open Girls competition as 2nd seeds. They suffered an early set back losing in a close pool game against 1st seeds Highgate. After this though they made their way through the tournament with relative ease up until the semi-final stage where they met Shrewsbury 1. This game was to become one of the, if not the matches of the whole N/nationals week; it was a 2 ½ hour epic going all the way to the wire with 5 full sets played. In the end Bethan & Lola managed to push through over the finish line taking the win 3 – 2.
This then put them up against 1st seeds Highgate again, who’d they’d lost to closely in the group stage. If their semi-final was the match of the whole N/nationals week, this one was certainly a contender as a very close second. Nerves once again got the better of our players and they couldn’t find any form or settle into any rhythm losing the first set 4 – 12. After a rather stern team talk from their coach (one the girls have vowed never to repeat in other company!) they went back onto court with renewed vigour and energy. It was like they were different players, and they took a commanding lead going 10 – 0 up before closing the game out 12 – 5. Highgate didn’t seem too phased however and similarly went back into the 3rd set with a new game plan. It was nip-and-tuck all the way with neither side holding the lead for long and in the end the Berko girls managed to clinch the set in a 12-11 nail-biter. The 4th set was similarity tight, though Bethan & Lola held the lead throughout most of it but only by a point or two at a time. Some superb set-piece play from Lola and top step rally play from Bethan saw the girls working in perfect harmony as a pair in the closing points of the game allowing them to take the final set 12 – 8. A slightly emotional Mr Theodossi had to walk away at this point and compose himself before congratulating the girls on a well-earned win to round off their school Fives careers.
We wish both Bethan and Lola the very best upon leaving this year and thank them for all they have given, not just to Fives and sport, but to Berkhamsted school as a whole. Hopefully we will see them back on court soon representing in the Old Berkhamstedians side next year.
I would also like to finish by saying a huge thank you and farewell to our Master in Charge Martin Pett. He has run the Fives programme as MiC for the past 23 years giving us his enthusiasm and expertise while his good nature always makes sure the pupils have a positive experience both on and off the Fives courts. Without him the game would be no-where near the fine state it currently is today. We thank him and wish him all the best in his retirement, but certainly hope to see him back on court again with us soon.
Anthony Theodossi
Bryanston
No report received yet
Burford
Burford at the Turnbull Trophy; ready to play; at Harrow
Introducing a very specialised sport to a new market always presents certain challenges, and so it was with the introduction of Fives to Burford, a State Boarding School nestled in the Cotwolds. With a lack of access to facilities in the area, we had to make the not-insubstantial journey to St Bartholomew's School in Newbury on a weekly basis to be able to train. However, the distance and travel time proved of little deterrent to the dozen or so enthusiastic and keenly committed pupils who trained regularly, and we are hugely grateful to Will Thomas, Will Seath and Nigel Cox who generously gave of their time to aid the development of the Burford pupils.
It quickly became clear that a competitive element would be of huge benefit and the first fixture was arranged at Harrow. Each pupil played six games of which each won at least two, which was no mean feat for relative newcomers to the sport with no more than a month of experience. We continued to practice on a weekly basis and went on to enter two further individual competitions at Harrow and Highgate, with two pairs at the Graham Turnball Trophy and four pairs in the U14 Beginners category at the N/national Schools Championship held at Eton.
Summer Fields School in Oxford opened their training facilities to us this term, significantly reducing our travel time and enabling us to train on Saturday mornings, which has enabled even more pupils to sample the sport. As the term and academic year draws to a close, it is right to reflect on a very successful first year of Fives at Burford, and it has been wonderful to see the students embrace a new sport with such enthusiasm. The improvement in the quality of play has been substantial, and I look forward to our further development next year.
Steve Kaaber-Gore
Charterhouse
It has been a tough old year for Fives at Charterhouse. With much of the previous season written off to lockdowns, year group bubbles, the school’s rapid expansion and associated squeeze on time and staffing, as well as the retirement of the inimitable John Troy all coincided to make building momentum this year very tricky indeed.
The pupils were brilliant though, and although they are few in number, they are keen in spirit. I have been impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication shown by our senior players who seem to spend hours playing around on the courts outside of training sessions and have been wonderful role models whilst helping to coach the younger pupils coming through.
Wins were few and far between, but there were some thrilling matches against our local rivals, Cranleigh whom we have played 3 or four times a term. The other main highlight was a very enjoyable day at Eton in March for the N/nationals. It took our pairs a while to find their level, but once there, it proved to be a very rewarding day.
Owen Chisholm
Cranleigh
Cranleigh's first ever N/national Schools' champions
Fives continues to enjoy a relatively small but faithful following at all levels in the school. There were inter-school fixtures against Berkhamsted and Charterhouse and house matches were played at senior and junior levels involving both girls and boys.
Three pairs took part in the qualifying event at Harrow for the U16 n/national championships with two of the three pairs qualifying for the main event.
The pinnacle of the season was the girls’ U16 pair taking victory in the U16 n/national competition at Eton in March. The same pair managed to reach the semi-finals in the U18 compeition in the same week. A tremendous achievement and a great end to a successful season for the sport at Cranleigh.
Will Chadwick
Cranleigh Prep
Another wonderfully enjoyable year of Fives has passed at Cranleigh Prep School. Fives is flourishing with record numbers playing and enjoying all that the game offers.
It was great to get back to competition Fives and this year we fielded teams in 3 separate age groups at the N/national Championships.
The first competition of the year was the u13 Girls held at Highgate. The interest shown by the girls this year has been very encouraging and we turned up with 7 pairs. We were all slightly unsure what to expect as this was our ever experience of competitive fives and were pleasantly surprised with how well we fared.
Of our 7 pairs four made it through to the last 8, two to the semi-finals (Izzy and Amelie, Charley and Lucy) and one to the final. Charley and Lucy lost to a very strong Highgate pair but everyone came away from the day with smiles on their faces and excited by what they had achieved.
In the u12 Boys competition we again fielded a large contingent with 10 pairs entering the Qualifiers. This is always a great day out for us and everyone benefitted from their first experiences of tournament play. Again, the standard of play was high and it was very pleasing to see the improvements made over the day. Our top 2 pairs (Quinn and Isaac, Olly and Dom) did well enough to qualify for the elite stage of the tournament by getting to the last eight. I was very encouraged and pleased with how well they played.
Unfortunately for us the u13s clashed with a hockey tournament and meant we were not at full strength but all the boys made huge improvements.
Our final outing of the year was at the Prep Schools where we were competitive but slightly naïve.
My thanks as always to my partner in crime, Mr Harry Thomas. He deserves huge credit for all he has contributed to Cranleigh Fives over the years. His enthusiasm, expertise and good humour make everything we do here possible.
Mark Halstead
Dover College
No report received yet
Eton
Turnbull Trophy winners; October U14 Beginners winners
No report received yet
Harrow
2022 Open champions and EFA coach of the year; Harrow School squad
Harrow has enjoyed a bumper year this season during the schools 450 year celebrations.
We had several victories at senior level cumulating with the top two pairs making the Open Championship Semi Finals along with 3 other junior pairs achieving the same. However the win of the Open by Phoenix Ashworth and Johnny Barley was the icing on the cake to a very enjoyable year for everyone involved along with a celebratory Dinner in London.
Along with a strong Shaftesbury Enterprise programme with several local junior schools experiencing Fives it will be a difficult season to repeat.
Ian Hutchinson
Highgate
Turnbull Trophy squad; N/national Champions and Finalists; Richard Barber Cup team
More N/nationals finalists; Richard Black Cup runners-up
The pupils and staff have really enjoyed getting back to a full program of practices and events this season. Over 250 pupils per week played on the courts over the variety of times available. There were 78 competitive events scheduled for pupils between y5 -y13. Only a handful were lost to the weather, covid or other complications. We continue to promote the OC fives club to pupils with a pleasing number attending when they can throughout the season.
The dedication of the pupils this season has paid dividends all year on the Tournament scene. Combined with the OC squad we had good performances in the Turnbull trophy and Richard Barber Cups. The school girls team also made the final of the Black Cup.
In Michaelmas, the pupils attended the EFA Individual series of tournaments in good numbers, with one of our pupils winning the u12, u14, u16, u18 and Girls open events. We believe this is the first time that a school has managed a clean sweep in this competitive series of events.
In Lent, the pupils attended the N/national Tournaments and exhibited great skills and confidence.
2022 EFA Schools N/national Championships-
U11 Open - Quarter finalists
U12 Open - Quarter finalists
Prep schools (u13) - Marston Plate Finalists
Girls u13 - Champions
U14 Open - Finalists
Girls u14 - Champions
U15 Open - Quarter finalists
Girls u15 - Champions
U16 Open - Finalists
Girls u16 - Finalists
U18 Open - Last 16
U18 Mixed -Semi Finalists
U18 Girls - Finalists
Many thanks to all pupils who participated this season, it's been a highly rewarding one for all involved.
David Mew
Holyport
It was a great comeback year for Holyport College with high numbers playing fives, attending fives club and competing against other schools. A few pictures above are from the Schools' N/nationals; The U13s had an amazing experience competing in their first n/national Fives tournament. Chloe and Jess won Plate A. The U14s had a very successful day at n/nationals and showed a lot of potential for the future.
Faye Kerr
Ipswich
At the Girls Individual Tournament; Ladies Festival winners
No report received yet
King Edward's, Birmingham
It was another year of progression for Fives at King Edward's this year with players from Shells (Year 7) to Fourths (Year 10) venturing off site and producing a range of excellent performances in tournaments in the West Midlands and in London. The Fourths and Upper Middles both represented themselves with credit at the U15 N/national Championships and we have seen success in a range of individual and pairs tournaments across the U14 and U16 age groups. The squads have responded well to the competitive threats from opponents from schools such as Shrewsbury, R/repton, Highgate, Berkhamsted amongst many others who have the distinctly unfair advantage of roof covered courts. We were also lucky to host a star studded Old Eds vs North Oxford fixture, held after a mini tournament, which allowed the boys to experience the wider Fives community spirit (when the pub lunch had finished!).
Tim Wyndham
Lancing
No report received yet
Ludgrove
No report received yet
Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz
Project Week cup; Upper courts
Fives at the Lyceum continues to thrive, with a series of Tournaments planned in Zuoz, Zurich and Geneva for the coming seasons.
Sports classes this Summer Term have seen Fives allocated as an additional option, with compulsory attendance required on each Main Games afternoon for the younger year groups.
As always, squad members frequent the Rondell Fives courts every evening, along with a keen group of Staff members who attend on a regular basis.
Several additional “high altitude” training sessions have been added to the schedule:
“The Balance Project” - which sees a variety of activities on offer - allows students the chance to sign up to extra Fives training every Wednesday for the duration of the Term. 25 new students are currently taking part.
“Project Week” - a welcomed initiative - allows Fives players the chance to have a week of highly focussed training from 8am – 4pm Monday to Friday. The combination of match play, shot drills, and American / Irish One-wall Handball, guarantee improvement by the end of the week.
With The Zurich Championships mid-June, and the Alumni’s pending arrival for the Summer Games – the Lyceum Fives squad are already primed and looking forward to future seasons. Every effort is also being made to plan for participation in the N/national Schools’ Championships in Shrewsbury 2023.
Many thanks to all who continue to support Eton Fives at the Lyceum.
Matthew Wiseman
Mill Hill
Bowden Bowl winners; at the U21s
No report received yet
Oakham
Although still affected by disruption at times throughout this year, we are slowly returning to normality, and have managed to see through some fixtures early in the year with Uppingham. Encouragingly, we have several new starters (boys and girls) to the game across a range of year groups, who we look to retain and develop further. We are pleased not to have any leavers this term and have utilised the ever so important vertical form groups, so students have the benefit of positive role models. We look forward to skill building, more fixtures and new experiences for Oakhamians next year.
Nayan Chohan
QE Barnet
QEB's first ever n/national champions
At QE Barnet we have potentially had our most successful season of Eton Fives in the schools history. We have played 12 fixtures, which is the most we have ever played, and entered more pairs in the N/national tournaments than ever before.
This has created a real excitement within the lower years of the school and our current Year 7s and 8s can’t wait to start playing come Year 9 (when we start playing).
The future is certainly bright at QE with our current Year 9 and 10s playing some very competitive Fives.
The biggest success of this year has been the leaders we’ve produced within multiple years. Our Year 9s have been excellently captained my Muhammad Hurzuk, our Year 10s by Dinuk Dissanayake and most impressively the school has been captained by a Year 11 in Pratham Bhavsar - who really is a credit to the school with the hours he puts in with the younger boys.
The highlight of the year simply has to be when our Year 9 pair of Yash Kedia and Zayn Phoplankar won the U14 Beginners N/nationals competition - the first time the school has managed to win the competition.
On a personal note I’m very sad to be leaving QE and have enjoyed my time leading the Eton Fives. I look forward to hearing about their future success and hope to get along to the occasional competition.
Olley O'Gorman
R/repton
A good haul; R/repton Fives; Court reopening
Boys Festival winners at Eton; Turnbull Trophy team; R/reptonians on court
It has been another exciting year of fives developed out of many hours spent at the fantastic newly refurbished courts. The pupils should be incredibly grateful to the EFA, the ORs and a number of school staff for driving this redevelopment. The development in play has been significant under the coaching of Charles Plummer, and he must be thanked for his unwavering commitment to improvement, time on court and large bank of playing and coaching knowledge which was enjoyed and capitalised upon by a wide range of fives players.
The highlight of the Michaelmas term was the formal re-opening event in November which saw over a hundred friends of R/repton fives gather to watch a range of matches between ORs and senior school players. Whilst the ORs came out on top overall, there was a great deal of good play from the school. The school highlight came via current captain Harvey Wilson and Joe Sookias overcoming Joe’s older brother James Sookias and Dominic Bennett in the closest game of the series. In addition, during this term, R/repton hosted an Under 14 and Under 16 Sunday festival in October which got a number of the school Under 16s their first taste of school match action with KES Birmingham and Shrewsbury. The Graham Turnbull trophy in December saw three R/repton pairs go down to Eton with plenty of success. CEP and Nafis Shaikh triumphed in Plate A of this event having fallen at the round of sixteen stage. This tournament demonstrates to the senior pupils that there is fives to be played after school and I am confident our U6th leavers will continue to don the gloves as there is a growing young OR fives playing community.
The Lent term saw the junior end of the school catch up. Thanks must go to the sports department for facilitating fives for the Year 9s on the sporting timetable. Before this development had come to full fruition, the Under 16 group had played a n/national qualifying tournament at Harrow and a friendly at Shrewsbury. It was good to see Stelios Dex and Jake Boucher pick up a couple of wins towards the end of the qualifier, and Claudia Tate underlined her ability and potential in leading her pairing to a victory at the end of the day in the plates. So, to the Under 14 group debuts in n/national competitions. Four pairs of girls travelled to Highgate and whilst three pairs made it to the last sixteen, none could progress further going down to strong and in one case ultimately victorious Berkhamsted pairs, but there will be a feeling amongst them that another year on court could see this stage of the competition surpassed. In the plate competitions, Alice Edwards and Christabel Turton played well to pick up a plate. A week later, three pairs of boys travelled to Eton for a qualifier with similar outcomes. All three pairs made the last sixteen before going down to QE Barnet pairings. Charles Hill and Jasper Saunders were rueing unforced errors as they went down 1-2 in sets. In a plate final Charles and Jasper overcame Matty Parkin and Zac Garner to take this competition. The term was rounded off by another trip to Eton, this time for the committed senior group to the Under 18 Festival competitions. Nafis Shaikh and Henry Barton Smith underlined their credentials and skill as R/repton’s number one pair by winning this event.
David Exley
RGS High Wycombe
After a quiet few years, Fives at The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe continues to grow with the number of boys wishing to receive weekly training sessions resulting in the creation of 6 separate training groups split across the year. It was incredibly pleasing to see our courts full of boys working hard to improve their games under the excellent guidance of Alex Abrahams.
Only having two courts available at the school means we often travel for fixtures. We owe large thanks to Aldenham, Berkhamsted, Eton, and Highgate Schools for providing regular and well-matched pairings across our U12-U18 age-groups which allowed our largely entry-level players to enjoy their introduction to competitive Fives. Thank you to all the staff who have taken fixtures, and covered lessons in my absence whilst with Fives’ teams.
For the 2022/23 season, we expect to see a further increase in the number of players accessing structured training, the number of competitive matches we can offer, and to provide the opportunity for players to access regional and n/national competitions should they choose to do so.
Andrew Fletcher
R/rydal Penrhos
Welsh Invit/national winners
No report received yet
St.Bartholomew's
St.Bart's at the Turnbull Trophy
No report received yet
St.Bees
Eton Fives has begun to make its resurgence on the courts at St Bees School. With the student body now growing and moving towards the 100 mark, Fives has become a core part of the sporting curriculum for juniors and seniors alike. Staff enthusiasm is rubbing off on students and we are starting to see some promising players for the future. The courts are in need of some refurbishment and the students will benefit from the promise of fixtures. We do hope to be able to host and visit other schools in the coming academic year and really bring St Bees back to the fore. A big thank you must go to Paul Bowden for his visits since the school reopened in 2018 to help inspire and teach our students.
Laurence Gribble
St.Olave's
Northern Plate winners; U16 champions; London Festival winners; New courts
No report received yet
Shrewsbury
Williams Cup winners; Turnbull Trophy squad; Mixed finalists
Richard Barber Cup squad; Festival and Plate winners
This season has been a successful one for Shrewsbury Fives. In the rescheduled N/national Championships, we won the U15 Girls, the U18 Mixed and both Festival competitions. Our season got underway back in January with fixtures against Harrow, Highgate and Eton. As always, we struggled at junior level against Highgate and Eton, but at senior level we won convincingly against both schools. Against Harrow we were less successful, with Harrow’s strength in depth at the top end giving us a tough challenge. Our girls were progressing well after their semi-final result in the Richard Black Cup, they dedicated many hours on court to improving and developing. During the N/national Championships, Shrewsbury reached the final of the U14 Beginners, losing out to a strong QE pair. Our U15 Girls reached the final also, again losing out to Highgate School. In the U16 competition, both our Boys and Girls first pair reached the Semi-Finals and in the U18 Girls Open our top pair treated us to a spectacle, narrowly losing 3-2 to the eventual winners Berkhamsted (12-14,12-14,15-12, 12-10, 14-15), Shrewsbury would find success in the U18 Mixed, a tournament we have performed well in recent years, with our Senior pair retaining the Mixed title for a second year in an all-Shrewsbury final. This has been a landmark season for our Senior Boys. Throughout their time at Shrewsbury they have been an extremely committed and determined bunch and this year has been no different. This year Shrewsbury won the Richard Barber Cup for the first time, were U18 Open Finalists and regained the Williams Team Cup having not won it since 2012. Overall a year of promise and with many enthusiastic juniors, the future of Shrewsbury Fives is in good health.
Adam Morris
Stowe
Fives at Stowe has been slow to pick up after Covid and the few fixtures that were arranged, often had to be cancelled due to the same people being required for another sport on the same day. We did however manage three fixtures against he Old Stoics who were very supportive and inspir/national to our players. Unfortunately, house matches also did not happen, because of the concern of cross contamination from sharing gloves.
John Skinner
Summer Fields
No report received yet
Sunningdale
Prep Schools winners
A fantastic Fives season with unprecedented success this year. We’ve had a large uptake of boys who've ventured onto the Fives courts, which has helped drive the success in competitive fixtures and tournaments. We end the year as the U13, U11 and Prep school champions, which is a fantastic achievement for all involved with Fives at Sunningdale. The House Fives competitions were both successful events, with some excellent Fives on show from all the houses.
At U13s, our first pair of Dare and Logue have been superb all year. They’ve won all their competitive fixtures in emphatic fashion, culminating in a brilliant victory in both the U13s N/national championships and the Prep Schools’ tournament. They have proven, time and again, to be the leading pair across the U13s age group through some exceptional attacking and dynamic Fives against Eton, Highgate, St Olave’s, Harrow, Ludgrove and Summer Fields. They have had a wonderful season and thoroughly deserve all their success.
The first pair were brilliantly supported by our second and third pairs, consisting of: Pavelyn, Jackson, Sleight and Gray, all of whom demonstrated great levels of ability throughout the season, with notably competitive victories against Summer Fields first pair. Unfortunately, the rearranged team competition failed to materialise, as this was a competition we were expected to do well in.
At U12s, Boyo and Logue performed admirably throughout the season and managed to reach the U12s N/national Championship Final against a very strong Berkhamsted pair. In an extremely competitive match, it was locked at 1-1 until Berkhamsted were able to run out deserved 3-1 winners. The level of progress for our boys, in such a short amount of time, was very encouraging for our aspirations next year.
The junior Fives team were equally successful, winning all of their fixtures against challenging opposition. It has been extremely pleasing to see how many of the younger boys who have shown a keen interest in Fives. Our top U11s pair of Robarts and Guest, have demonstrated fantastic levels of talent and ability and deservedly won the U11s N/national Competition in a thrilling final against Berkhamsted. All this success means the future looks very bright for Fives at Sunningdale school! On a final note, I’m delighted to write that Sunningdale has become the first prep school to win the Malay trophy, awarded to the most successful Fives playing school at the N/national Competition. We are very proud of the boys’ fantastic achievements.
Well done to all the Fives players for their hard work and success and we very much look forward to seeing how they progress.
The boys who have represented the school in fixtures are as follows: Seniors - A.C. Pavelyn, A.A. Jackson, S.C.S Dare, G. W. Sleight, R.A.H. Gray, A.J. Logue, A. Boyo, L.C.B. Ihrt. Juniors - C. T. S. Robarts, A. A. Witt, I. P. Corn, L. B. Guest, T. J. Stopp, J. Godman. M. Herratt, R. Doyle, H. M. C. Hoare, M. J. Dougherty, G.W. Campion, W. Hagg-Davies, T. S. Logue, N. Lintott, C.M Brogan.
George Thomason
Uppingham
The Uppingham team at R/repton
This year, Uppingham Fives has been about building momentum, once again, following the disruption of Covid. Pleasingly, there have been many new 4th form boys who have taken to the sport. Fives club on a Thursday afternoon has proven popular, with many pupils choosing the sport as their DofE skill. Fixtures against Oakham have proven popular; however, a particular highlight was the tournament held over at R/repton earlier in the year. It’s terrific to see pupils stepping onto these courts once again.
At Uppingham, Monday night Fives club is also ensuring that the courts are being used regularly with numbers for this club growing steadily.
It has been a successful year for Uppingham fives insofar as the sport is gathering interest from new pupils who are enjoying the chance to step on court. Next year, Fives will be a part of the 4th form carousel of Sports, giving all pupils the chance to experience the game. This I hope, will help to boost enthusiasm and awareness of the sport even further.
James Holroyd
Westminster
Westminster U15s
It was a pleasure to see the return of Fives fixtures at Westminster.
For the first time in several years, Westminster stepped off the Harrow Fives courts victorious, with the first pair, Tarun Eapen and Arjun Kapur, having fought hard for their 3 sets to win their game. This Remove pair has led the way with purpose and rigour, but has been dutifully supported by Gregor Lumsden, Darshan Fernando and Samvit Nagpal, with sixth Formers Aditya Gupta and Henry Williamson bound to make the Westminster’s Fives’ family proud next year. In the lower school there may be too many promising talents to mention by name, but it is clear that Westminster’s future in Fives is bright.
A testament to the Fives’ team spirit was on the morning of the rejuvenated Eton Fives N/national Championships. Eapen and Kapur were ready to take the teams at Eton by storm, yet regretfully, it was not to be. Eapen tested positive for COVID just before the teams departed, and, like a knight in shining Fives gloves, Lumsden stepped in to partner Kapur, and the two of them played very well together. Luckily, Eapen and Kapur played together once again in the fated return of the House Competition at the end of the season. Unsurprisingly, they won in style for Grant’s, losing only 3 points in the whole competition.
Though Matt Wiseman may be further afield, the Fives squad are greatly indebted to him for both his management and words of encouragement. The next generation of Fives players are now in the safe hands of a new Fives coach, Andrew Charles, who is part of a team of specialists hand-picked by Matt Wiseman for Westminster School.
Congratulations to everyone on a successful season, which has taught us once again that, whether it be to let off some steam, socialise with friends or demonstrate fierce competition, the serene courts of Ashburnham Gardens are the place to be.
Tarun Eapen (Eton Fives Captain)
Wolverhampton Grammar
Eton Fives is being played in Wolverhampton and good use being made of the five courts, all of which are in a good state. The school now has a Head who knew the game before coming to the school having been at Mill Hill previously. He has been encouragingly supportive.
This last year efforts were concentrated on introducing as many in years 7 to 9 as possible to the game. It is hoped that next year matches against other schools for our beginners can be arranged and also attendance at schools tournaments.
Andy Husselbee
Wrekin
No report received yet