Squash Wales May 2024 Newsletter

It’s that time again for another roundup of all of the latest going-ons with Welsh Squash.

Featured News

🥉Wales Women Win Bronze and Men Secure 4th place at European Teams in Uster
🏆 Masters Home Internationals Draw to a Close in Cardiff, Results Here, Here & Here. Captain Reports Here.
🎉 Junior Success at Five Nations in Cardiff & U19 European
📽️ A look at Cowbridge Squash Club & Their Story Over The Last 50 Years
🌟 Congratulations to Rhiwbina for winning the playoff for champion of the 23 / 24 Premier League.
🥂Get your tickets for the 2024 Presentation Evening Here

League News

Spring Season 2024 has now finished, Results are now in, and Congratulations go to the following teams for winning their respective leagues

It has been a challenging season - aren't they all!- and Well Done to all teams who competed this season. The Squash Wales Awards dinner will be held on June 15th in Cardiff to celebrate the successes of the season so do try to attend.

Winter 2024 season will soon be us and fixtures will begin week Commencing Monday Sept 9th

I have already had a couple of clubs asking about additional teams for the Winter season and its great to know Squash is moving onward and upwards.

To see a recap on the results of the 23-24 winter league results, click here

Enjoy the Summer

Nick Edwards - League Manager

Performance News

As the season comes to a close, the squash courts have been buzzing with action and excitement across Wales. Here’s a recap of the recent highlights from the spring season:

U19 Welsh Team Shines in Bucharest

The U19 Welsh team showcased their talent on the European stage, securing a commendable 6th place in the European Team Championships held in Bucharest. Notably, Ellie Breach and Ioan Sharpe delivered outstanding performances, both securing spots in the top 10 in Europe, marking a stellar conclusion to their junior careers.

5 Nations Championships

The 5 Nations Championships for the U13 and U15 Teams saw Wales competing against the Home Nations and France. Despite facing stiff competition, the event served as a platform to highlight the emerging talent within the Welsh squash community. Madalena Sidoli, Erin Lauder, Eliza Hales, Zoe Powell, Grace Breach, and Lennie Lewis displayed promising performances, reflecting the bright future of Welsh squash. Despite facing challenges, the teams exhibited determination, spirit, camaraderie, and sportsmanship, qualities that will undoubtedly serve them well in their future endeavors.

Senior Representation

The South Wales ladies A and B teams represented their regions with pride in the Finals of the British Inter County Finals in Nottingham, securing respectable 3rd place finishes. Special appreciation goes to Stacey Gooding and Becky Baker for their leadership as captains. With Squash Wales entering five teams this season in the senior Inter Counties across both men's and ladies categories, the aim is to build upon this success in the upcoming season.

Junior Inter County Finals

The Junior Inter County Finals saw remarkable performances from various age groups. Notably, the U13 team delivered a standout performance, finishing as runners-up, narrowly losing 2-1 to Surrey.

The highlight match featured Evie Salisbury, who showcased exceptional skill and determination in a thrilling decider.

Domestic Front

Round 1 of the Junior League took place in Rhiwbina, featuring teams from Swansea, Rhiwbina, Merthyr, Bridgend, and Abergavenny. Rhiwbina A topped the table in the closed league, while Merthyr A claimed the top spot in the Open league. The next round is scheduled for May 25th in Merthyr, with gratitude extended to the players, clubs, and organizer Tom Rosser for their contributions.

European Team Squash Championships in Porto

The U15 and U17 teams traveled to Porto for the European Team Championships. The U15 team, primarily a development squad with an eye on the future, demonstrated promise and determination throughout the tournament. Madalena Sidoli stood out with an outstanding performance, winning all her games for the team. Erin Lauder also impressed, securing a breakthrough victory against a Swiss opponent. Leon Lauder's decisive win against Greece secured a notable victory for Wales. Thomas Fenlon and Noah Allnatt gained valuable experience, contributing to the team's growth. Despite the challenges, the team finished 13th in Europe, laying a solid foundation for future success.

The U17 team exceeded expectations, defying their seeding at number 11 to secure a commendable 7th position. With impressive performances and victories against formidable opponents such as Israel, Netherlands, and Denmark in the group stages, the team showcased their resilience and skill. Although facing a narrow loss to France in the quarterfinals, they bounced back with an excellent win against Sweden to secure their 7th place finish. Archie Davies Clarke's stellar performance, including a decisive victory against Israel, the 5th seeds, was instrumental in the team's success. Nia Thomas demonstrated her strength with notable wins against top-ranked players from Israel, Sweden, Denmark, and Spain. Archie Turnbull's commendable performances at number 1 were pivotal, and Declan Cottrell's debut for Wales added to the team's depth and spirit. Special thanks to Sally Davis for her invaluable support throughout the week in Porto.

These accomplishments underscore the resilience, talent, and teamwork within Squash Wales, setting the stage for continued success in the seasons to come.

Greg Tippings - National Performance Coach

Schools & Clubs News

Schools

Following the design and development of our new 6-week Squash in Schools programme, ready to roll out in September, Squash Wales are touring the country offering taster visits in promotion of the new programme. 

Visits have already taken place in Powys, Ynys Mon, Swansea, RCT and Bridgend with 3 schools signed up to the new programme in September. Plenty more visits are scheduled for the coming months in Carmarthen, Ynys Mon, Newport, Cardiff and RCT aiming to get as many schools signed up to the programme as possible. 

Our 6-week programme in summary: 

1. School Visit delivered by Squash Wales (week 1)

2. 4 weeks of PE lessons delivered by the school staff (Squash Wales provide the lesson plans) (Weeks 2-5)

3. A school trip to the local squash club for the full squash experience and awards ceremony for achievement of the OTW Squash Level 1 award (week 6). If traveling to a squash club in inapplicable, an alternative 2^nd school visit at the end of the 6 weeks is offered instead.

Squash Wales are accepting signups for the programme to start in September wc 9^th /16^th Sept or wc 4^th / 11^th November. The club visit will be scheduled for 6 weeks after the school visit. To sign up, schools can contact Tomos Rosser [email protected]. 

Any coaches who want to further discuss the objectives and application of the programme please get in touch with Tomos. 

Clubs

Newport SC have been successful in their application of a be-active grant to continue developing their junior section.

Great work is being achieved at Cowbridge Squash Club with an influx of juniors. We hope to see a Cowbridge side enter the junior league soon.

Similarly, Llantrisant Squash Club have begun their journey to developing a junior section with mid-week and weekend session starting at the leisure centre. With a new enthusiastic coach, great club and council support, we hope to see plenty of new players emerging from RCT soon. 

This week Squash Wales will be visiting clubs in the Eryri region. With visits scheduled in Caernarfon, Ynys Mon and Porthmadog and attendance at the finals nights held at Bangor University we hope to demonstrate our support of our clubs in North West Wales and the great work they are achieving.