RACKETBALL/squash57 nationals - cancelled DUE TO COVID-19
Introduction HEAD Racketball/Squash57 Nationals
The British National Championships was founded in 1984 making it the sports oldest event. The event is now well established as the highlight of the tournament calendar and the not to miss tournament of the circuit!
Despite the events title as a National Championship the spirit of the UK-Racketball Series and the sport follows through to this event. It really is a tournament for all ages and abilities. Competitive on court but played in a great spirit and with a great atmosphere at the club.
In 2020 The British National Racketball/ Squash57 Championships will take place at it's traditional home Edgbaston Priory Club on the 11th and 12th of July. This will be a two-day event with most grades starting on Saturday morning/lunchtime and finishing on Sunday afternoon.
Watching the event is free and is definitely a highlight for the competitors. Last year saw some incredible matches with Mike Harris surprising many with his performance in the final overcoming 10 times National Champion Tim Vail, 3 games to 1.
Head down this page for online entry
Despite the events title as a National Championship the spirit of the UK-Racketball Series and the sport follows through to this event. It really is a tournament for all ages and abilities. Competitive on court but played in a great spirit and with a great atmosphere at the club.
In 2020 The British National Racketball/ Squash57 Championships will take place at it's traditional home Edgbaston Priory Club on the 11th and 12th of July. This will be a two-day event with most grades starting on Saturday morning/lunchtime and finishing on Sunday afternoon.
Watching the event is free and is definitely a highlight for the competitors. Last year saw some incredible matches with Mike Harris surprising many with his performance in the final overcoming 10 times National Champion Tim Vail, 3 games to 1.
Head down this page for online entry
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Racketball/ Squash57 Nationals
Main Tournament Details What: UK-Racketball Racketball Championships When: Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th July Where: Edgbaston Priory Club Postcode: B15 2UZ Closing Date: Friday 21st June (please note that this is two weeks before the event rather than the usual Series events one week) Cost: £30.00 (includes top quality quick dry sublimated t-shirt) Cost 2nd Grade: £10.00 Follow this link to view all of the Racketball and Squash 57 Title holders since the first event back in 1984... |
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The National Championships – A Tournament For All Ages and Standards
The British National Racketball Championships is open to all ages and abilities. Whether you’re looking to take on a new challenge or chasing a top title, this is the tournament for you. The UK-Racketball Series was founded on the principle of being accessible and open to anyone, no matter what their standard or age. This is the ethos with which we ran tournaments in 2010 and will be the same focus in 2019.
More and more women are taking up racketball each year and the 10 grades on offer at the National Championships this year reflects this. In the Women’s event last year, Natalie Lawrence retained her Women's Open Title and Bet Dryhurst claimed her 31st National Title spanning across all categories.
2019 will be the first time in Racketball/Squash57 history that an over 80’s category. A special thank you to Gordon Stringer for organising and pushing for this!
In the men's open category we are still looking for someone to get the upper hand against Tim Vail who still rules supreme. He secured his 10th National Title last year with a win over Mark Fuller 11/4, 11/2, 11/6
Follow this link to view all of the Racketball and Squash 57 Title holders since the first event back in 1984...
More and more women are taking up racketball each year and the 10 grades on offer at the National Championships this year reflects this. In the Women’s event last year, Natalie Lawrence retained her Women's Open Title and Bet Dryhurst claimed her 31st National Title spanning across all categories.
2019 will be the first time in Racketball/Squash57 history that an over 80’s category. A special thank you to Gordon Stringer for organising and pushing for this!
In the men's open category we are still looking for someone to get the upper hand against Tim Vail who still rules supreme. He secured his 10th National Title last year with a win over Mark Fuller 11/4, 11/2, 11/6
Follow this link to view all of the Racketball and Squash 57 Title holders since the first event back in 1984...
Grades
Men’s Championship
Men's O35 Championship
Men’s O40 Championship
Men’s O45 Championship
Men’s O50 Championship
Men’s O55 Championship
Men’s O60 Championship
Men’s O65 Championship
Men’s O70 Championship
Men’s O75 Championship
Men's O80 Championship
Women’s Championship
Women’s O35 Championship
Women's O40 Championship
Women’s O45 Championship
Women's O50 Championship
Women’s O55 Championships
Women’s O60 Championship
Women’s O65 Championship
Women’s O70 Championship
Women’s O75 Championship
Juniors
Boy's Under 13
Boy's Under 15
Boy's Under 17
Boy's Under 19
Girl's Under 13
Girl's Under 15
Girls Under 17
Girls Under 19
You must be eligible to play in the event that you enter. The cut off date for age groups is the weekend of the competition. For example you must be 35 years old or older on 1st day of the competition to be eligible to play in the Over 35’s.
You can play in more than one grade but not more than two. If you do decide to play in two grades be aware that due to the infinite combination of different grade options the schedule will not be based around multiple grades. It is impossible to keep all players participating in multiple grades happy. Some of the players love have a break between matches, others like to have them back to back so that they don't get cold and then have to start again. Some players always want a much bigger break and get some food in the middle. Please be aware that playing in two grades might result in back to back matches or in you only having two hours between matches and not enough time to get proper food. If you decide to participate in two grades you need to be aware that you might have four matches in a day.
If you are unsure which category to enter please feel free to contact Mark Fuller directly on 07846067505 or email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to advise you.
Men's O35 Championship
Men’s O40 Championship
Men’s O45 Championship
Men’s O50 Championship
Men’s O55 Championship
Men’s O60 Championship
Men’s O65 Championship
Men’s O70 Championship
Men’s O75 Championship
Men's O80 Championship
Women’s Championship
Women’s O35 Championship
Women's O40 Championship
Women’s O45 Championship
Women's O50 Championship
Women’s O55 Championships
Women’s O60 Championship
Women’s O65 Championship
Women’s O70 Championship
Women’s O75 Championship
Juniors
Boy's Under 13
Boy's Under 15
Boy's Under 17
Boy's Under 19
Girl's Under 13
Girl's Under 15
Girls Under 17
Girls Under 19
You must be eligible to play in the event that you enter. The cut off date for age groups is the weekend of the competition. For example you must be 35 years old or older on 1st day of the competition to be eligible to play in the Over 35’s.
You can play in more than one grade but not more than two. If you do decide to play in two grades be aware that due to the infinite combination of different grade options the schedule will not be based around multiple grades. It is impossible to keep all players participating in multiple grades happy. Some of the players love have a break between matches, others like to have them back to back so that they don't get cold and then have to start again. Some players always want a much bigger break and get some food in the middle. Please be aware that playing in two grades might result in back to back matches or in you only having two hours between matches and not enough time to get proper food. If you decide to participate in two grades you need to be aware that you might have four matches in a day.
If you are unsure which category to enter please feel free to contact Mark Fuller directly on 07846067505 or email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to advise you.
Plate Competitions
We will run a plate competition for all categories. You need to inform the tournament organiser before the event starts if you do not wise to play in the plate. This will need to be done before the draws are done so before Monday 27th March.
Prizes and T-Shirts
As part of your £30 entry each competitor will receive a free t-shirt. These are a high quality quick dry sublimated print and will be designed and produced by IPro.
Trophies will be given out to the winner and the runner up for each grade.
Prizes for all Nationals winners and runners-up will be presented on the day.
All National Champions winners and runner-up's will receive a HEAD rucksack, wristbands, grip packs, and set of string.
The men's and women's grades will have cash prizes.
Series Points
All competitors will win Series points that count towards their overall finishing position for the 2019 Series. This is the case if you win the event or lose in the first round. The number of points that you make is decided by your finishing position.
The top 10 points scores over the course of the Series will receive prizes at the last event of the Series the National Racketball Doubles. Click here for more info on the 2019 Series and prizes - www.uk-racketball.com/2019-series-rankings.html
More Information: email Mark Fuller [email protected] or call Mark on 07846 067505
Trophies will be given out to the winner and the runner up for each grade.
Prizes for all Nationals winners and runners-up will be presented on the day.
All National Champions winners and runner-up's will receive a HEAD rucksack, wristbands, grip packs, and set of string.
The men's and women's grades will have cash prizes.
Series Points
All competitors will win Series points that count towards their overall finishing position for the 2019 Series. This is the case if you win the event or lose in the first round. The number of points that you make is decided by your finishing position.
The top 10 points scores over the course of the Series will receive prizes at the last event of the Series the National Racketball Doubles. Click here for more info on the 2019 Series and prizes - www.uk-racketball.com/2019-series-rankings.html
More Information: email Mark Fuller [email protected] or call Mark on 07846 067505
Tournament Structure
All matches will be best of 5 games to 11 PAR (point a rally) scoring.
Events will be straight knockout or group stages depending on entries.
Referees
In the UK-Racketball Series all matches are refereed by the player who won the previous match on that court. The feedback on the Series events is that this works really well and therefore the same format will take place in The National Championships.
WINNERS WILL REFEREE THE NEXT MATCH ON THE COURT THEY HAVE JUST PLAYED ON.
If you are playing in multiple grades and have another match following on you will need to find someone who can referee for you. The best thing to do is to explain to your opponent the situation and see if he can help.
If you are unable to referee for any reason and are unable to find someone to help you please contact the desk as soon as you can.
This event will run well with you corporation.
Events will be straight knockout or group stages depending on entries.
Referees
In the UK-Racketball Series all matches are refereed by the player who won the previous match on that court. The feedback on the Series events is that this works really well and therefore the same format will take place in The National Championships.
WINNERS WILL REFEREE THE NEXT MATCH ON THE COURT THEY HAVE JUST PLAYED ON.
If you are playing in multiple grades and have another match following on you will need to find someone who can referee for you. The best thing to do is to explain to your opponent the situation and see if he can help.
If you are unable to referee for any reason and are unable to find someone to help you please contact the desk as soon as you can.
This event will run well with you corporation.
Dunlop Black Balls
The Dunlop double dot ball will be used for all grades. The feedback in the past has been very positive both for the Squash57 and Racketball Nationals. The Racketball ball is still a contentious issue in the UK with many different areas using different balls however the Dunlop Ball is quite a middle of the road ball so although it might not be ideal for everyone we feel that this is the best ball overall for the event.
Entry List, Draws and Schedules Release Dates
Friday 21st June – 15 days before the event - Please make a note of this. The Nationals will close two weeks before the event. This is different to the normal time frame for UK-Racketball events.
Sunday 23rd June – 13 days before the event - An entry list will be released on www.uk-racketball.com on the Monday before the event. If you have entered the event then please check on the Monday that your entry has been received and that you are on the list. If you should be on the list but are not then please email Mark Fuller [email protected] as soon as possible.
Wednesday 26th June – 10 days before the event – Draws and Schedules will be released on www.uk-racketball.com
Sunday 23rd June – 13 days before the event - An entry list will be released on www.uk-racketball.com on the Monday before the event. If you have entered the event then please check on the Monday that your entry has been received and that you are on the list. If you should be on the list but are not then please email Mark Fuller [email protected] as soon as possible.
Wednesday 26th June – 10 days before the event – Draws and Schedules will be released on www.uk-racketball.com
Edgbaston Priory Club Facilities
Edgbaston Priory Club is arguably the best squash and Racketball centre in the country and one of the nicest clubs in the world.
Edgbaston Priory Club has plenty of onsite parking, a bar open all day serving hot and cold food, a gym to warm up in before your matches and a sauna and steam room to warm down and relax after playing.
The club is used to host plenty of important events. The Birmingham Classic Tennis, British Junior Open Squash, National Clubs.
We are incredibly lucky to be able to run an event at such a fantastic club. Make the most of it!
Catering - The club menu is very good. Alongside this the club is putting on a special tournament quick options. Posters will be up around the club.
Wristbands and Bags - We are very lucky to be running this event at such a fantastic club. At registration you will be given a wristband, you will be asked to wear this throughout the competition. Events of this size can make the club look very untidy, please make a special effort to keep your kit together, when you're not playing please keep you bag in a locker or in the designated bag storage areas.
Club Location
Along with the facilities and atmosphere the club location is another reason why events at Edgbatson Priory prove to be so popular. With the city being central to the UK and in the centre of key motorway networks it can be reached easily from all areas of the country.
Edgbaston Priory Club
Sir Harrys Road
Birmingham
B15 2UZ
Tel: 01214400492
Click here to visit the club website for more information
Car Parking - use the Priory Road entrance, this is the back car park used for events
Edgbaston Priory Club has plenty of onsite parking, a bar open all day serving hot and cold food, a gym to warm up in before your matches and a sauna and steam room to warm down and relax after playing.
The club is used to host plenty of important events. The Birmingham Classic Tennis, British Junior Open Squash, National Clubs.
We are incredibly lucky to be able to run an event at such a fantastic club. Make the most of it!
Catering - The club menu is very good. Alongside this the club is putting on a special tournament quick options. Posters will be up around the club.
Wristbands and Bags - We are very lucky to be running this event at such a fantastic club. At registration you will be given a wristband, you will be asked to wear this throughout the competition. Events of this size can make the club look very untidy, please make a special effort to keep your kit together, when you're not playing please keep you bag in a locker or in the designated bag storage areas.
Club Location
Along with the facilities and atmosphere the club location is another reason why events at Edgbatson Priory prove to be so popular. With the city being central to the UK and in the centre of key motorway networks it can be reached easily from all areas of the country.
Edgbaston Priory Club
Sir Harrys Road
Birmingham
B15 2UZ
Tel: 01214400492
Click here to visit the club website for more information
Car Parking - use the Priory Road entrance, this is the back car park used for events
What happened in 2019... HEAD National Racketball/Squash57 Championships
Follow this link to view all the results including individual games break down...
Follow this link to view all the photos on Facebook... remember that you do not need to be a member of Facebook to view or download the photos. If you are a member of Facebook, tag, share and like to help spread the word!
Follow this link to Laurence Ogden's YouTube channel. Laurence was videoing for the whole weekend and has some great footage.
HEAD National Championships Report
The Edgbaston Priory Club, the home of Racketball/Squash57, last weekend (5th – 7th July) hosted the sports 36th National Championships.
The weekend saw 240 players competing in 318 matches across 23 grades ranging from Under 13’s through to Over 80’s. This was the sport’s biggest tournament ever in terms of entries, categories and matches played. Squash57 is the only sport ever to host a National Championships for such a wide range of ages over just one weekend. It was great to see such a diverse group of players all coming together to play the game.
The Over 50’s took centre stage over the weekend as the most popular category, filling the full 32 draw and reflecting the successes of the age category in the domestic series throughout the year. This is the most popular grade of the UK-Racketball Series with big Over 50’s competitions taking place right across the UK every month.
The matches did not disappoint with some fantastic encounters and upsets right from the start. The two on form Series players, Dan Fernandez and Marc Thornley, were the events #1 and #2 seeds and both lost in early rounds which immediately opened the event up. In the end it was Mark Francis (Huddersfield) who capitalized, defeating Rob Hambrook (East Anglia) in the semi-finals and then Mervyn Davies (Shrewsbury) in the Semi Finals.
The weekend saw 240 players competing in 318 matches across 23 grades ranging from Under 13’s through to Over 80’s. This was the sport’s biggest tournament ever in terms of entries, categories and matches played. Squash57 is the only sport ever to host a National Championships for such a wide range of ages over just one weekend. It was great to see such a diverse group of players all coming together to play the game.
The Over 50’s took centre stage over the weekend as the most popular category, filling the full 32 draw and reflecting the successes of the age category in the domestic series throughout the year. This is the most popular grade of the UK-Racketball Series with big Over 50’s competitions taking place right across the UK every month.
The matches did not disappoint with some fantastic encounters and upsets right from the start. The two on form Series players, Dan Fernandez and Marc Thornley, were the events #1 and #2 seeds and both lost in early rounds which immediately opened the event up. In the end it was Mark Francis (Huddersfield) who capitalized, defeating Rob Hambrook (East Anglia) in the semi-finals and then Mervyn Davies (Shrewsbury) in the Semi Finals.
Five grades ran in the National Racketball/Squash57 junior competitions. The youngest competitors on the day took part in the Boy’s Under 13’s, Dylan Kalar was crowned Champion with his victory over Anthony West. The boy’s Under 19’s was won by Marcus Tranter with a victory over Ollie Cartwright in the final. Marcus’s sister Jasmine Tranter completed the family double by taking the Girls Championship with victories over Anya and Meha Shah.
Duffield’s Lesley Sturgess maintained her amazing run of National Titles which she started in 2007 in the Women’s Over 45’s. Since then she had won 13 titles and added two more this weekend with victories in the Over 55’s against Siobhan Garland (Falmouth) and the Over 60’s against Jo Robinson (Ebbisham). Bett Dryhust (Barnt Green) was once again victorious in the Women’s Over 70’s taking her to title #31, a run that started back in 1985 when the tournament was into its 2nd year.
Duffield’s Lesley Sturgess maintained her amazing run of National Titles which she started in 2007 in the Women’s Over 45’s. Since then she had won 13 titles and added two more this weekend with victories in the Over 55’s against Siobhan Garland (Falmouth) and the Over 60’s against Jo Robinson (Ebbisham). Bett Dryhust (Barnt Green) was once again victorious in the Women’s Over 70’s taking her to title #31, a run that started back in 1985 when the tournament was into its 2nd year.
It was the strongest field yet in the Women’s Open category. Three times National Champion Natalie Lawrence (Devon & Exeter) was defeated by up and coming Amber Marshall (Broxbourne) 11/6, 12/10, 11/4 in the first of the semi-finals. Local hero and last year’s Squash57 Champion Deon Saffery came through her semi-final against a determined Roxy Keshavarz (Brighton) in a long three love encounter. Amber Marshall has had a great couple of years on the UK-Racketball Series winning first the National Doubles title in 2018 and then the East of England singles at the start of this year. This was her first final on the sports big stage and up against experienced and two times winner Deon Saffery this was always going to be tough. Marshall got progressively better and almost took the 3rd but eventually losing out 11/9 in one of the highest quality games across any grade over the weekend. Deon Saffery claimed her 3rd title on home soil without dropping a single game throughout the competition.
The Men’s Open saw several crowd favorites make early exits. Joseph Blackmur the East of England Champion and ¾ seed was defeated by professional squash player Harry Falconer. In what was one of the most entertaining matches of the weekend Nine times Nationals Runner up Ted Jeal was defeated by Chris Bently, the third game was critical going Bentley’s way 14/12. Squash Legend and former World Number 3 Simon Parke always draws a crowd. This was Parke’s first Racketball Nationals and he was great to watch, a tough draw gave him the #2 seed Mike Harris in the quarter finals and Parke was beaten by the better man on the day. Never one to give up I’m sure that we will see Parke back and looking for revenge against the man almost 20 years his junior.
The men’s final was a match that had been anticipated since before the first ball had been struck. Tim Vail 10 times National Racketball Champion was taking on two times National Squash57 Champion Mike Harris. This was the first competitive meeting of the two champions and it was Vail who made the strong early start taking the first game 11/8. The start of the second was tight but at 5/5 some uncharacteristic errors from Vail allowed Harris to pull away and take the game 11/7. The third was tight and proved to be the tournament decider, it could have gone either way but Harris hung on to take it 11/9. Vail had thrown everything he had at the 3rd and Harris was in no mood to let the 10 times champion back in. A positive start from Harris in the 4th and it was too much for Vail to recover, 11/2 to Harris and a very well-deserved National Title to a fantastic ambassador for the game.
This was the biggest Racketball/Squash57 Nationals ever. It was a fantastic weekend and a great advert for a sport that has a new energy behind it and what is increasingly looking like a very bright future.
The men’s final was a match that had been anticipated since before the first ball had been struck. Tim Vail 10 times National Racketball Champion was taking on two times National Squash57 Champion Mike Harris. This was the first competitive meeting of the two champions and it was Vail who made the strong early start taking the first game 11/8. The start of the second was tight but at 5/5 some uncharacteristic errors from Vail allowed Harris to pull away and take the game 11/7. The third was tight and proved to be the tournament decider, it could have gone either way but Harris hung on to take it 11/9. Vail had thrown everything he had at the 3rd and Harris was in no mood to let the 10 times champion back in. A positive start from Harris in the 4th and it was too much for Vail to recover, 11/2 to Harris and a very well-deserved National Title to a fantastic ambassador for the game.
This was the biggest Racketball/Squash57 Nationals ever. It was a fantastic weekend and a great advert for a sport that has a new energy behind it and what is increasingly looking like a very bright future.
The National Racketball/ Squash57 Championships history
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The Racketball Nationals has been running since 1984, follow this link to see the Hall of Fame...
Racketball Nationals - Results and Reports 2019 - HEAD National Racketball/Squash57 Championships 2018 - HEAD National Racketball Championships 2018 - Squash57 National Championships 2017 - HEAD National Racketball Championships 2017 - Squash57 National Championships 2016 - Dunlop National Championships 2015 - Dunlop National Championships 2014 - Dunlop National Championships 2013 - Dunlop National Championships 2012 - Dunlop National Championships 2011 - Dunlop National Championships 2010 - National Racketball Championships 2009 - National Racketball Championships - before the founding of UK-Racketball 2008 - National Racketball Championships |
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Title Sponsor - HEAD
The Series would not run without the support that it receives from its sponsors. Our long standing title sponsor HEAD are returning for another year this year. HEAD are one of the biggest sports brands in the world, produce some of the best racketball rackets, and are a fantastic supporter of racketball - so we are thrilled to have them on board again.
Featuring HEAD's revolutionary Inner Grommet System Technology and patented twin tube construction, their rackets deliver superior performance, power and stability. Many of HEAD’s rackets feature Graphene XT Technology. Once played with a Graphene racquet, you never want to miss the extra swing it gives you with each shot. Now imagine the next stage of this revolutionary technology: GRAPHENE XT, a new generation of HEAD racquets with enhanced weight distribution, perfect maneuverability and a fast performance that will just blow your opponents away.
https://youtu.be/qU9YVSFr3uo
Featuring HEAD's revolutionary Inner Grommet System Technology and patented twin tube construction, their rackets deliver superior performance, power and stability. Many of HEAD’s rackets feature Graphene XT Technology. Once played with a Graphene racquet, you never want to miss the extra swing it gives you with each shot. Now imagine the next stage of this revolutionary technology: GRAPHENE XT, a new generation of HEAD racquets with enhanced weight distribution, perfect maneuverability and a fast performance that will just blow your opponents away.
https://youtu.be/qU9YVSFr3uo
