Squash Wales Jan 2023 Newsletter

Author

Russell Edwards
January 03, 2024

Welcome to the very first Squash Wales newsletter! It’s been a busy few months and we’re looking forward to sharing it with you. If you have any events, information or news you would like us to include in the next newsletter - just reply to this email with some information.

Tournament News


🇳🇿 Wales finish fifth in Men’s World Team Championships in New Zealand - read coaches report
🥇 Emyr Evans wins Oregon Open 2023 and becomes World #79
🇮🇪 Evan Davies Clarke wins in the U19 category at the Irish Junior Open
🇬🇧 Millie Breach & Archie Turnbull reach finals in the U17 category at the British Junior Closed. Madelana Sidoli, Nia Seran Thomas, Elsie Griffiths, and Ellie Breach also secured top-four finishes.
🙌 Big wins all round in the Junior Intercounties - read coaches report
💪 Three men’s teams and two women’s teams have been entered into the Senior Intercounties for Wales - a record number of entries.

Club / League News

💷 In the past few months Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Caernarfon, Cowbridge & Ynys Mon have all received be-active grants from Sport Wales in aid of growing the junior sections in the respective areas.

🏆️ The results are in for the Winter 2023 League.

Winter 2023 results are now all in and Congratulations go to Swansea A  for being Premier One League Champions after only 2 seasons back in Premier One.

Congratulations too to Merthyr A and Bridgend A who have gained promotion to Premier One for Spring 2024

After a well-earned rest the Spring season starts w/c Monday 8th January so good luck to all for the new season.

Well done to the teams below for finishing top of their respective leagues in Winter 2023:

Premier 1 : Swansea A
Premier 2 : Merthyr A
East Central 1 : Newport B
East Central 2 : Newport D
West Central 1 : Llanelli B
West Central 2 : Llandeilo B
South Central 1 : Rhiwbina B
South Central 2 : Old Penarthians A
South Central 3 : Llanishen B
South Central 4 : Merthyr B
South Central 5 : Cardiff Uni B
South Central 6 : David Lloyd Cardiff C
South Central 7 : University Hospital Wales B
Pembs 1 : Teifi 
Pembs 2 : Pembroke Bush
Eryri 1 : Llanrwst 1 
Eryri 2 : Caernarfon Cadnant
N E Wales : Mold 

Congratulations to all

Schools / Youth News

🧪 The Junior Squash League pilot, conducted in Merthyr, Bridgend, Rhiwbina, and Newport, was a resounding success. Due to popular demand, we'll be launching a full league in the new year, providing junior players with exciting opportunities to represent their clubs.

🚚 Throughout the year our coaches have delivered 64 schools visits across our regions (Abergavenny, Aberystwyth, Aberdare, Builth Wells, Cardiff, Monmouth, Newport, Llandrindod Wells, Penarth, Pen-y-groes, Ynys Mon, Swansea).

In addition, several clubs have played host to school visits:

  • Trowbridge primary school visits to St Mellons we conducted by Lisa Smith, Harri Pugh and Tomos Rosser.

  • Pennard primary school visit to Swansea Tennis & Squash Club and undertook a session with Jenny Burrows and Tomos Rosser.

  • St Mary’s and Maindee Primary schools both visited Newport Squash Club where Jason Salisbury runs the section.

  • Ysgol Bro Leu visited the leisure centre in Pen-y-groes where Arwel Jones facilitated a number of squash-based PE lessons over a fortnight.

In the New Year we look to establish relationships with Lansdowne primary school in Cardiff and Llanharri School in Llantrisant where squash will be rolled out as part of the curriculum.

Other News

🥇 Following the Olympic announcement, our head of performance and participation, David Evans & Builth Wells squash coach Iain McKechnie spoke with Sport Wales on our attempt to build junior squash nationwide - read in full here

🥳 Since October, three Level 1 squash Wales coaching courses have been put on. Courses in Holyhead, Cardigan and Cardiff have provided 17 new coaches the opportunity to begin a coaching journey. Look out for more levels 1 courses, a level 2 course in Feb/Mar and the prestigious level 3 course that will run throughout the year.

Thanks for reading.

Squash Wales.