2027 Road To Selection Update
NEW CHANGE TO RTS - 25/06/2026
Due to some valid queries from the community regarding the Road to Selection process and one potential flaw to the current set up, we have amended the criteria for selection for the Glasgow 2027 RTS set up. Please read carefully below...
- Issue - the perception that the two major ranking events (British National Championships & the Euro Cup / British Open) give players who sit in the ''every 5 year'' age category an advantage over those who don't.
For example, players that do well in the O35 / O45 / O55 / O65 / O75 categories having a potentially easier way to accumulate points over those who sit in the Open / O40 / O50 / O60 / O70 categories. As the current age categories for England representation are Open / O40 / O50 / O60 / O70, this has been noted to be providing a possible unfair advantage.
- Solution - we do not want to devalue the O35 / O45 / O55 / O65 / O75 categories by reducing their attributed ranking points for winning them. Therefore the ruling regarding your max required events and your best scoring events will be adjusted to the below:
- To qualify for England Team Selection for 2027 onwards you MUST play a MINIMUM OF 5 of the Racketball Satellite, Series or Major events that take place in the 2027 Road to Selection period. Starting with and including the 2026 British Nationals in July. This has changed from 4 minimum from the 2026 RTS period.
Therefore regardless of how high scoring your National Championships / British Open / Euro Cup finishing position is, you must play a total of 5 events overall, meaning three more of the Series or Satellite level competitions across the RTS period.
- Your BEST 6 UK Racketball Series event finishing position scores will be put toward your overall RTS finishing position.
This has changed from best 5 from the 2026 period to hopefully create a better balance. This means that those in the ''every 5 year'' categories must potentially compete in 4 or more events in their relevant RTS age category (eg, an O55 player might need to play 4 more O50 events alongside their O55s Nationals or Open) to have the best possible chance of achieving selection. This then hopefully creates a fairer balancing out of results and scoring across the period.
As always we are trying to iron out the kinks in the process each year to make it as even for everyone who participates in the UK Racketball Series with the aim of selection for the National side. Thank you to those who have given feedback toward this to help us to improve things year on year.
If you have any questions please contact Mike Harris at [email protected]
- Issue - the perception that the two major ranking events (British National Championships & the Euro Cup / British Open) give players who sit in the ''every 5 year'' age category an advantage over those who don't.
For example, players that do well in the O35 / O45 / O55 / O65 / O75 categories having a potentially easier way to accumulate points over those who sit in the Open / O40 / O50 / O60 / O70 categories. As the current age categories for England representation are Open / O40 / O50 / O60 / O70, this has been noted to be providing a possible unfair advantage.
- Solution - we do not want to devalue the O35 / O45 / O55 / O65 / O75 categories by reducing their attributed ranking points for winning them. Therefore the ruling regarding your max required events and your best scoring events will be adjusted to the below:
- To qualify for England Team Selection for 2027 onwards you MUST play a MINIMUM OF 5 of the Racketball Satellite, Series or Major events that take place in the 2027 Road to Selection period. Starting with and including the 2026 British Nationals in July. This has changed from 4 minimum from the 2026 RTS period.
Therefore regardless of how high scoring your National Championships / British Open / Euro Cup finishing position is, you must play a total of 5 events overall, meaning three more of the Series or Satellite level competitions across the RTS period.
- Your BEST 6 UK Racketball Series event finishing position scores will be put toward your overall RTS finishing position.
This has changed from best 5 from the 2026 period to hopefully create a better balance. This means that those in the ''every 5 year'' categories must potentially compete in 4 or more events in their relevant RTS age category (eg, an O55 player might need to play 4 more O50 events alongside their O55s Nationals or Open) to have the best possible chance of achieving selection. This then hopefully creates a fairer balancing out of results and scoring across the period.
As always we are trying to iron out the kinks in the process each year to make it as even for everyone who participates in the UK Racketball Series with the aim of selection for the National side. Thank you to those who have given feedback toward this to help us to improve things year on year.
If you have any questions please contact Mike Harris at [email protected]
2026 has been a standout year for both UK Racketball and the game in the wider context. With European Squash and World Squash getting more heavily involved in the game and the inaugral officially sanctioned European Cup taking place in October this year, we are at a great position in the sport.
Because of this new major event coming in alongside the already very well established British Racketball Open, British Nationals, and also the International Teams Championships, we have an increasingly busy calendar at the top end of the game. To avoid too much congestion therefore going forwards (2027 Series onwards) this will be the new structure for the Major ranking events:
British Racketball Open - moving to March as of 2027, with the first new date being the 12th - 14th March. Still at the fantastic Hallamshire Club who have been great partners with UK Racketball for a number of years. The Hallamshire Series level event will then swap to October 2027 (essentially a like for like date replacement.)
British Racketball Nationals - staying in July and at Edgbaston Priory as our primary venue. Exact date to be confirmed for 2027 soon, but we are really pleased to again have such an awesome venue as our lead club.
International Racketball Teams Championships - staying in September for 2027 onwards. After discussion with our RASTA Scottish Series friends, we agree that keeping continuity with this date is useful for both of our Road To Selection (RTS) set ups. The response to the creation of this event and everything it has brought to both our Series, plus then the increased pick up of the game in Wales, Jersey and Guernsey has been amazing and we see this as a key flagship event as we move forwards.
European Cup - as you are aware we are the inaugral hosts of the European Cup (2nd - 4th October at Hallamshire!). This will not necessarily be the case going forward however, with the aim being that it then gets picked up and shared around our other European nations as the game progresses. (Our Finnish friends have already shown a big interest in taking it on next.) Therefore while this is absolutely a key tournament to keep tabs on, it will not form a direct part of the UK Racketball set up, therefore meaning it’s date could vary year on year. We will be working with the organisers of each year to promote it out as best we can so just make sure you keep an ear to the ground!
So this now gives the 2027 (and onwards) UK Racketball Series a much better split of Major events, with it now moving to March - July - September, instead of the current July - September - October set up. We hope this will allow people more opportunity to compete at these high level events!
ROAD TO SELECTION 2027 IMPLICATIONS:
This change does create a one off issue with regards to the 2027 Road to Selection set up. Namely that we would then have THREE Major ranking events in the July 2026 - July 2027 ranking period. This would create an imbalance in the standings with too many heavily weighted events potentially favouring some players. So this will be the compromise for the next RTS run:
We appreciate that this is a bit fiddly and not ideal, but it is a bit of short term pain for a long term gain and better balance to the Series calendar. Road To Selection rules will otherwise stay as they currently are set out in the PDF document below.
If you have any questions regarding the above changes please feel free to drop Mike an email at [email protected] Otherwise we really hope to see you again at another Series event very soon!
Because of this new major event coming in alongside the already very well established British Racketball Open, British Nationals, and also the International Teams Championships, we have an increasingly busy calendar at the top end of the game. To avoid too much congestion therefore going forwards (2027 Series onwards) this will be the new structure for the Major ranking events:
British Racketball Open - moving to March as of 2027, with the first new date being the 12th - 14th March. Still at the fantastic Hallamshire Club who have been great partners with UK Racketball for a number of years. The Hallamshire Series level event will then swap to October 2027 (essentially a like for like date replacement.)
British Racketball Nationals - staying in July and at Edgbaston Priory as our primary venue. Exact date to be confirmed for 2027 soon, but we are really pleased to again have such an awesome venue as our lead club.
International Racketball Teams Championships - staying in September for 2027 onwards. After discussion with our RASTA Scottish Series friends, we agree that keeping continuity with this date is useful for both of our Road To Selection (RTS) set ups. The response to the creation of this event and everything it has brought to both our Series, plus then the increased pick up of the game in Wales, Jersey and Guernsey has been amazing and we see this as a key flagship event as we move forwards.
European Cup - as you are aware we are the inaugral hosts of the European Cup (2nd - 4th October at Hallamshire!). This will not necessarily be the case going forward however, with the aim being that it then gets picked up and shared around our other European nations as the game progresses. (Our Finnish friends have already shown a big interest in taking it on next.) Therefore while this is absolutely a key tournament to keep tabs on, it will not form a direct part of the UK Racketball set up, therefore meaning it’s date could vary year on year. We will be working with the organisers of each year to promote it out as best we can so just make sure you keep an ear to the ground!
So this now gives the 2027 (and onwards) UK Racketball Series a much better split of Major events, with it now moving to March - July - September, instead of the current July - September - October set up. We hope this will allow people more opportunity to compete at these high level events!
ROAD TO SELECTION 2027 IMPLICATIONS:
This change does create a one off issue with regards to the 2027 Road to Selection set up. Namely that we would then have THREE Major ranking events in the July 2026 - July 2027 ranking period. This would create an imbalance in the standings with too many heavily weighted events potentially favouring some players. So this will be the compromise for the next RTS run:
- The British Nationals (July 2026), European Cup (October 2026) and British Open (March 2027) can all still count toward your Road to Selection 2027 placing as Major events.
- However, only your best finishing position from either the European Cup OR the British Open will count toward your final placing.
- The British National Championships stands alone from this.
- So in theory, if you won your category in the European Cup (receiving 650 points toward RTS,) but then finished runner up in the British Open (430 points,) your 650 points finish would count and your 430 points would not.
- We believe that this provides a fair balance to this standalone RTS period without diminishing the importance of either the European Cup or British Open events.
We appreciate that this is a bit fiddly and not ideal, but it is a bit of short term pain for a long term gain and better balance to the Series calendar. Road To Selection rules will otherwise stay as they currently are set out in the PDF document below.
If you have any questions regarding the above changes please feel free to drop Mike an email at [email protected] Otherwise we really hope to see you again at another Series event very soon!
Due to the open and inclusive nature of the UK Racketball Series and all its various events and categories, Road to Selection for England Team representation has been a tricky task to sort.
We have to factor in players competing in Series events at 'younger' categories that they are aged at, at multiple different draws at the same tournament, and also potentially 'ageing up' halfway through a selection period. Please therefore be patient with us while we work toward a fair and balanced method of ensuring that people can earn selection fairly.
Please see the attached document below for the Road to Selection policy for the England Racketball side for the 2026-2027 period leading up to the 2027 Glasgow Internationals!
| road_to_selection_policy_for_england_racketball___1_.pdf |
