The 2012/13 EFA League season is already underway and here is the Fivesonline guide to this year's runners and riders.
Division 1
Berkhamsted 1: Berkhamsted took Division 1 by storm last year, winning the league at the first attempt without losing a match all season. The big question this year is whether they will be able to defend their title now that they have a big target on their backs and the other sides know exactly what they are up against. The squad has a formidably strong look to it, though, with the same mix of Berkhamsted staff, old boys, schoolboys and guests as last year and they deserve the tag of favourites.
Key Player: Doug Foster. Doug continues to improve year on year and provides crucial experience and a wise head in a young-looking side.
Old Harrovians: After winning the title in 2009, the Old Harrovians have underachieved slightly in the last couple of years. They will be buoyed by the return to the ranks of former Kinnaird Cup winner Peter Dunbar, but will also be looking to more of a contribution from some of their younger players to back up the experienced core of the squad.
Key Player: Peter Dunbar. Can the return of the younger Dunbar brother turn mid-table safety into a title challenge for the Harrovians?
Old Millhillians 1: The Old Millhillians performed with great credit last year in their first season at this level, with only a couple of poor late season results stopping them from achieving a high finish. With a year's experience now under their belt and two pairs in the Kinnaird quarter-finals last year, this could be the year when the OMs establish themselves as real contenders.
Key Player: Vishal Bhimjiyani. An almost ever-present in last year's campaign, Vishal will be looking to lead the side from the front this year.
Old Olavians 1: Last year proved that the Old Olavians have plenty of exciting young talent coming through the ranks and with the influence of James Toop and Howard Wiseman they are sure to be competitive again. Schoolboys Chris Self and Sanjay Kundu in particular will be keen to impress.
Key Player: Howard Wiseman. Both on and off court, Howard is the mastermind behind the Olavian Fives machine.
Old Olavians 2: The Olavians 2 provide an opportunity for more of the younger Olavian players to gain experience and show what they can do at the top level. Much will depend on the ability of their match managers to get the youngsters on court on a regular basis.
Key Player: Peter White. A seasoned pro, Peter provides Olavians 2 with quality and experience.
Old Westminsters 1: The Westminsters are now well established as a Division 1 side and have gradually been undergoing an evolution that has seen more and more genuine Old Westminsters and fewer guests take their place in the line-up. Laurie Brock and Ed Rose in particular raised their game last year with strong performances at the major tournaments and in the league.
Key Player: Laurie Brock. Last season was a real breakthough year at the top level for Laurie and he will be looking to lead the OWs to a top half finish this season.
Division 2
Berkhamsted 2: Berkhamsted Fives is on a roll at the moment and their Division 2 side will be one of the teams to watch this year as they attempt to emulate their first team's success. Expect to see lots of young Berkhamsted talent playing alongside one or two of the senior pros.
Key Player: Jeremy O'Neill. Jeremy has plenty of top level experience now and should play a key role in coaxing good performances out of the youngsters.
North Oxford: Defending champions North Oxford should once again be one of the main challengers for the title. The team has an experienced core and skipper Gareth Hoskins will be hoping that some of the younger players such as Hugo Tobias, Carl Rennie, Dan Byam Shaw and Karen Hird are able to make their presence felt.
Key Player: Chris Austin. The Wulfrunian left-hander adds a touch of class to the top of the North Oxford order and will be looking to claim a few more first pair scalps this season.
Old Carthusians 1: Last year was a tough one for the Old Carthusians after an impressive 2010/11. Team supremo Ronald Pattison will be looking for his senior players to rally round and get some momentum into the Carthusian campaign and will also be hoping to see some of the recent Charterhouse leavers begin to establish themselves in the team.
Key Player: Alex Burrows. With Simon Parrish and Justyn Comer abroad, a lot rests on the shoulders of Alex Burrows to lead from the front.
Old Citizens 1: The Citizens have established themselves in Division 2 since their promotion the year before and they will be looking to further consolidate their status with a top half finish this year. They have a promising group of school leavers who will hopefully be available for a good number of matches and they also have the not inconsiderable bonus this year of having John Reynolds available to play in the second division.
Key Player: John Reynolds. Having one of the legends of the game in your line-up can hardly be a disadvantage.
Old Etonians: Year by year the Etonians are expanding their player base and becoming more and more consistent in their selection and as a consequence should be considered one of the favourites for Division 2 honours this year. A full strength Etonian side has always been more than a match for anyone at this level but increasing strength in depth should mean that points still get picked up even when some of the star names are unavailable.
Key Player: Jeremy Hindle. This year's Westway Summer Superleague MVP is improving all the time and has added control and nous to his power-hitting game.
Old Ipswichians: The OIs are still in a rebuilding phase with half an eye on the current generation of Ipswichian schoolboys coming through. There is enough talent in the OI ranks to make them potential contenders in this division, but at the moment they may lack the depth of squad to threaten over the course of a season.
Key Player: Tim Fletcher. Availability may be an issue for Tim, but when he is playing the OI line-up has a much deeper and stronger feel to it.
Old Millhillians 2: The Millhillians showed last year that they were more than capable of sustaining a challenge on two fronts as the second team produced a strong Division 2 performance even with the first team now in the top division. Captain Chris Vincent will be looking to marshal his resources effectively and the OMs have enough high quality players who aren't named in Division 1 to be a threat.
Key Player: Joe Coakley. Joe is now a proven performer with a season in Division 1 and a Kinnaird quarter-final under his belt and will be tough to beat at this level.
Old Salopians: The Salopians are the team that everyone else in Division 2 fears. The number of top young players in the Salopian ranks is second to none but as in previous years the big question mark is over availability and consistency of selection. If the club can get that right, then a return to Division 1 will be very much on the cards; fail and another season of underachievement and mid-table mediocrity beckons.
Key Player: Rex Worth. Former Schools' winner and Oxford captain Rex Worth has the potential to be the Salopian matchwinner this year and possibly break through into the top ranks.
Old Stoics: The Stoics got off to a great start in 2011/12 and had the look of potential champions for much of the season. A couple of crucial conceded matches cost them dear, however, but notice has been served that they intend to be in the mix at the top end of the table once again this year.
Key Player: Ed Hewens. The Stoics have had a number of very useful guest players over recent seasons to bolster the loyal Stoic core of the squad; Ed has certainly proved to be one of those and is still improving.
Old Westminsters 2: The Westminsters second team had a very solid look to it last season, producing some very good results and proving to be especially formidable on their home courts. A settled squad contains a good blend of youth and experience and they will be looking to make it into the top half of the table this year.
Key Player: Freddie Krespi. Freddie frequently took on the responsibility of playing at first pair last year and the resultant improvement in his game has made him one of the OW2's key performers.
Westway Olavians: Last year's Division 3 winners team Westway have morphed into the Westway Olavians for their first tilt at Division 2 and skipper Freddie Rowe will be looking for a strong showing from his West London outfit.
Key Player: Ryan Perrie. Prodigal son Ryan Perrie returns to his Westway roots in a move reminiscent of Alan Shearer signing for Newcastle in 1996. Will Ryan be able to go one better and actually win something?
Division 3
Abbey Club: The main men from last year's Westminster School side are back for their final year, so the Abbey should make formidable opposition in Division 3 this year.
Key Player: James Alster. Runner-up in last year's Turnbull Trophy, James will be looking to lead his team to Div 3 glory this year.
Lancing Old Boys: Could this be the year that Lancing's Barber Cup success is matched by league success? The Lancing brains trust of Nigel Cox and Richard Black will be working hard to get as many members of the Betts family as possible on court as they look to plot a way out of the bottom division.
Key Player: Jamie Betts. Back from New Zealand, the youngest of the Betts brothers will be looking to add some firepower to the Lancing promotion challenge.
Old Citizens 2: The Old Citizens second team gives a chance for the full OC squad to gain valuable court time and experience, especially some of their up and coming youngsters.
Key Player: Stephen Mullin. Stephen takes on organis/national duties for the Cits second team this year, a crucial role if the team are to be successful.
Old R/reptonians: The future is looking brighter for the R/reptonians these days with the arrival of several bona fide OR players to boost the squad's numbers. Could a return to the glory days of R/reptonians Fives be on the cards?
Key Player: Sam Basu. Sam will be looking to provide a strong lead for his men both on and off the court.
St.Olave's School: The Olavian school side are back in the league this year and with Fortress Orpington as their base they will be looking to make a good impression on the Olavian selectors.
Key Players: Sam Rix & Sudhir Balaji. With Chris Self and Sanjay Kundu playing in Division 1, much will depend on the younger Olavian school players to make their team competitive.
Team Westway: Team Westway’s winning campaign last season has enabled them to fight on two fronts this year with teams in Division 2 and 3.
Key Player: Freddie Rowe. the ability to cope with the greatly increased fixture list will be crucial to the success of the Westway teams this year and Captain Rowe knows that he is the one who has to deliver.
Windsor & Eton: Perennial Div 3 stalwarts Windsor & Eton are back for more this year, with skipper Nick Bunyan vowing to raise his team's game to keep up with the improved competition in the bottom division.
Key Player: Mandie Barnes. An important part of the team on court, Mandie has also taken on the organisation of the fixture list which is second only in importance in the W&E club hierarchy to the person who organises the curries.