Sunday Fun Doubles:

Last but not least, it’s always worth it mentioning our now traditional and always entertaining Sunday morning fun doubles event! This in its third year is proving to be a really popular addition to the event, with it being a chance for either people to help relieve themselves of a bit of a hangover, or also get a few more entertaining games of Racketball in if they have already been knocked out out of the competition.

This year, the entries played out perfectly so that we had a mixed draw and a men’s draw, with four pairs in each. The mixed draw being very sociable and full of laughs, and being won by Michelle Meadows and Pete Cossey. The men’s draw (inevitably) getting slightly more competitive than first thought, was won by the Dover duo of John Waller and Tom Henson! All four players happily walking away with a big box of Burts crisps as a reward for their efforts!


It was lovely to have a full crowd for the last finals and also the presentations, thanks to everyone who stayed around for it, it always makes a big difference!

A massive thank you to our amazing event sponsors for their incredible backing of the competition. Everything they contributed went into making it the best possible tournament for everyone involved, whether it was in the gift bags, the high quality tournament shirts, or the prizes. It all makes a huge difference to what we can give everyone so thank you all very much. 

Thanks also to Edgbaston Priory and Sutton Coldfield for hosting us so well. Two great clubs and we are lucky to have their support in hosting this event as it continues to grow. 

The next big one is the European Cup on the 2nd - 4th October at Hallamshire & Fulwood Clubs in Sheffield! Entry is still open for all categories so don’t miss out on what will be an amazing event with players from all over Europe getting involved:

https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/The-British-Racketball-Open-2nd3rd4th-October-Hallamshire-Fulwood-Squash-Clubs

Hope to see loads of you at a UK Racketball event soon!
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​We come to our third and final British National Championships event preview covering the Junior, Men’s and Women’s Open draws!


Juniors - Reigning Champ - Dylan Kalar.

First up it’s really positive to have eight players in the Junior event, this is a category that we are really keen to keep growing year on year and we would love to be in a position to offer separate boys and girls draws in 2027. So if you are reading this and have some handy Junior players at your club that might fancy a change of scene from Squash for a weekend, get them involved next time!

Last year‘s winner, Dylan Kalar is away, leaving the previous runner up Lewis Vinten with a great shot at the title. However, in the other half of the draw we have the likes of Stourbridge's Jack Bennett and EPC's Aaron Suthi, both of whom are no strangers to the event and who have been improving year on year. It is by no means a clean path to the title...

With some other great young players spread across the two boxes of four, whoever makes it through to the final will have had to work hard to get there, and we could see some really exciting new talent coming through from this!


Women’s B Grade - Reigning Champ - Karen Bealey.

This is one of our favourite draws to watch play out at the event, as it brings together a big mix of players of all ages and experience. Many of them playing in their first major tournament and it’s really positive to see it growing to a full 16 draw for this year.

Last year‘s champion Bealey returns, but she will have stiff competition with a number of the entrants proving themselves across the UK Racketball series over the last 12 months.

It’s especially great to see some of our Guernsey Racketball friends coming across to take part in this one, they are a great sociable bunch and a sure sign of the continued growth of the game over in the Channel Isles.


Women’s A Grade - Reigning Champ - Amber Marshall.

Amber is back one more as top seed looking to add yet another Nationals title to her cabinet. She has England Women’s Captain Jasmin Kalar to get past on route, plus the likes of the returning to the scene Roxy Keshavarz, Series regular Linda Pritchard, and Stourbridge coach Bethany Fisher (doubling up with the Junior draw too) on the way through. Should be some great games across the group of 5 over the weekend!


Men’s ABC Grade - Reigning A Grade Champ - Mike Harris, B Grade Champ - Nick Lathbury, C Grade Champ - Dan Colbeck.

Harris is back once again looking to try and stay at the top of the tree for a 9th year. This time his challengers are Ted Jeal, doubling up for the first time, last year’s semi finalist Calli Smith, Guernsey’s #1 Janick Radford and Liverpool’s Matty Powell.

We also have plenty of extra depth to the draw along the way, with regular Series players like Elliott Smith, Callum Arnott and top Junior Lewis Vinten. Danny Berkley, Alex Rowlands and Damian Burgess are also bringing some Welsh flavour to the line up too.

With another packed out 32 draw it will be interesting to see how the matches play out and it divides out into the final A / B / C categories as we progress. Lots up for grabs in terms of Road to England selection points for 2027 too, so some important battles to be had! Straight away from RD 1 we have some tasty clashes and it is really positive to see the overall level of this draw grown each year.


So there we have it! Our Nationals preview for 2026. Just one week to go until the action is fully under way and we can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

A huge thank you to our amazing event sponsors for all they have provided to support the event, whether it be in funding, prizes or goodies for the player gift bags, it’s all massively appreciated.

See you all at Edgbaston and Sutton Coldfield very soon!

We return to the action and take a look at the next batch of age categories, kicking things off with the Women's O55s draw!

Draws here:

​www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/The-British-National-Racketball-Championships-2026


Women's O55s - Reigning Champ - Siobhan Garland.

Cornwall's Garland has now moved up to the O60s draw so leaves it open for a new category winner! Last year's finalist Kim Brook looks to be in with a good shot, but local legend Tina Wotherspoon will be calling on home support to hopefully see her to a title!


O55's - Reigning Champ - David Evans.

Last year this category provided us with two unbelievably high quality semi finals, with both going to 5 brutal games. Champion David Evans is unfortunately absent this year with an injury, and with Nick Billington (last year's runner up) having moved up into the O60s it creates a power vacuum in the draw. We have a very punchy line up of top seeds however, with all four players very capable of battling their way through to a win. Chris Wase, Phil Hall, Andy Murray and John Simpson are all looking in good form, we could see a repeat of last year's mammoth showdowns! Last man standing...


Women's O50s - Reigning Champ - Sam Mueller.

Sam is absent this year, but we have a great line up of 8 quality players battling it out instead! Two of our current top Series regulars - Linda Pritchard and Karen Bealey will be looking to renew their rivalry by meeting in the Final, but Yorkshire's Diane Fenwick and Devon's Jo Perriam will both have something to say about that, having both come very close to taking the title themselves last year.

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O50s - Reigning Champ - Jon Davies.

The Welsh wizard returns to defend his title after battling past Chris Morris in a tough and entertaining final last year. Morris also returns in the top half of the draw, where he is seeded to meet top seed Mat Lowery who has just come up from the 45s. This age group has always provided us with some of the closest match ups possible and this year is no exception. We also have the likes of Mark Davis, Nick Staunton, current Series leader Andy Speake, and Steve Smith all also in the mix for the title. No easy matches in this one next weekend!


O45s - Reigning Champ - Ryan Loska.

Mr Relentless is back once more, ready and raring to sap the legs and minds of anyone ready to try and go up against him! He faces regular sparring partners Knocker Norton, Adam Giles and Barry Talbot in his quest to regain top spot. And the guys certainly have their work cut out against one of the most consistent Racketball players we have had ever in the Series! Norton and Giles have however registered wins against him in the past so you never quite know...


Women's O40s -  Reigning Champ - Natalie Lawrence.

Another increased draw size which is really great to see. With Lawrence absent it is very much an open line up, with all players capable of battling through to take the win. Yorkshire's Marie Elcock looks to be the slight favourite on paper, but Priory club members Kirn Dibra and Tina Wotherspoon on home turf will see what they can do to upset the odds!


O40s - Reigning Champ - Alexis Smith.

What. A. Line Up! 
We only have 8 players in this draw but it is one hell of a group of them. Last year's finalists Alexis Smith & Mike Tolman who battled each other to a standstil return as top seeds, joing this year by Zeb Young and Dan Soar, both of whom are very capable of causing problems in the semis. Plus two Welsh warriors in Ross Cassley and Damian Burgess who won't be going to make up the numbers! Whoever comes through this by Sunday night will very much have earned their title!


O35s - Reigning Champ - Jason Pike.

We have a very punchy draw of 9 for this category, with several players in the mix to do some damage. With the draw format offering up three berths in the finals stage, with all three finalists having to play off against each other, whoever can come through the group stages unscathed with energy to spare will have a great shout. Ted Jeal comes in as top seed, searching for his first National title, but county mate Billy Jones will be looking to double up from his British Open 2025 title last year! Last year's semi finalists Duncan Moselhi is also out for revenge after a tight loss to Jones previously... They will have some very tough group stage games though, with the likes of Arnott, Bryant, Vasey and more all out to upset the standings. 


So many quality draws and tough battles to come through! This time next week the action will all start to unfold. We can't wait...

Part 3 (third and final) of the preview to come very soon... Stay tuned!

In the lead up to next weekend's 2026 British Racketball National Championships lets take a look at the contenders, previous winners and what could play out across the draws! First up we investigate our O80s - O60s age group categories...

​All draws here: www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/The-British-National-Racketball-Championships-2026

- O80S: Reigning Champ - Andrew Rugg Gunn.

Andrew returns again at the fantastic age of 87 to try and retain his Nationals title. It has been phenomenal to watch him in action and let's see if he can continue to amaze with his court coverage. He will be hard pushed this year though, with a bumper draw of 7 players - our largest in this category to date - to contend with. Notables are recently aged up Bob Shelley, Howard Thompson and Andrew's Devon compatriot Pete Hamblett, all who have National age group titles to their names. With 3 or 4 best of 5 game matches for the players over the weekend, the winner will certainly have earned it!


- O75s: Reigning Champ - Ian Graham.

Last year's winner Ian returns again in a bid to retain his title for a second year. His 2025 final opponent Graham Greensall is back from injury and keen to hit the ground running on local turf. 2025 British Open runner up Richard Firmin is also in the mix in the third group so we could see an interesting Finals box of three if all make it throigh reasonably unscathed!


- O70s: Reigning Champ - Andy Mitchell.

This is always one of the more evenly balanced categories in the Series, and although Andy returns as top seed, there is no guarantee he will be sat at the top of the pile at the end of Sunday 19th. John Herbetko at 2 seed has proved regularly able to upset the apple cart and sneak wins off of Mitchell, with the 3/4 seeds of Graham Holmes and Paul Loska also with National Championship and Series wins to their names. With some extra dark horses such as Wallington, Pearcey and Hudson Oldnall in the mix too, the tops seeds are going to have to hit the ground running!


- Women's O65s: Reigning Champ - Lesley Sturgess.

Lesley returns once again as the bane of anyone trying to squeeze a National title under her belt. She has been remarkably consistent across her age group categories over the years and carries a wealth of experience of success at this level. It is great to see a group of 4 in this age group, and the likes of Sue Moore, Jan Hazell Hunt (last year's runner up in a very tight battle with Lesley) and Melody Ripley will all be locked in in their attempts to topple this legend of the Women's game.


- O65s: Reigning Champ - Chris Davey.

Davey is absent this year so it does open up the draw for a whole host of contenders. However, his loss has meant the arrival into the age group of John Cordeaux, one of the O60s regular top dogs, and he is very much the one to try to beat. The languid lefty (host and creator of the fantastic Play Squash57 Youtube Channel) has serious pedigree at this level, and previous Champions Mike Phillips (2 seed) and Collis Sheik (3/4 seed) will have their work cut out to take him down. It is a cery competitive line up across the draw however with several of the lower seeded players having reached the semi finals stage of majors in the past. So no easy games for anyone!


- Women's O60s: Reigning Champ - Lesley Sturgess.

Sturgess has stuck to her O65 guns, and in so leaves a great draw of 8 players to battle it out to take their inaugral O60s National title. Nicky Horn from Yorks is back in Majors action and looks to be the odds on favourite for the win, but Lesley's old sparring partner Siobhan Garland at 2 seed will have a few tricks up her sleeve we are sure. Again it is really positive to have an 8 player draw in this category, a sign that the Women's game is picking up impetus!

- O60s: Reigning Champs - John Cordeaux.

With John having moved on up to the O65s, it is his old battle partner (and regular Doubles buddy) Patrick osborn who once again sits as top seed in this draw. Patrick being one of the the most consistent players in the scene across the Series and Major events makes him somewhat of an immovable object at the top of the order. However with Neil Baldwin also bringing a huge amount of skill and quality at 2 seed, plus the recently aged up Nick Billington and Welsh Wizard Richard Murphy at 3/4 seeds, the UK Racketball legend definitely won't have it all his own way. The likes of Jim Muirhead, Martin Greenslade and John Rycroft also sit at the lower end of the seedings, all very capable of doing damage. This is definitely going to be one of the standout draws of the event!


We will bring you Part 2 over the next few days, but as you can see there is loads to get excited about next weekend! A huge thank you to all of our amazing event sponsors for their contribution to this pinnacle of the UK Racketball scene, it should be a brilliant weekend and your backing makes it all possible!