On Sunday (16th June) Keele University was once again the host venue for the county championships, with a healthy quota of 15 teams competing across 2 divisions.

The UK Racketlon County Championships is always a fun and highly anticipated event on the tournament circuit calendar. The chance to play as a team in what is usually an individualised sport creates a tremendous spirit and atmosphere, whilst also being welcome preparation for those heading out to Rotterdam in 6 weeks time for the World Championships. 

With a considerable contingent of unranked players entered (17 in total) it was fantastic to see the event providing an opportunity for new players to try out racketlon within a supportive team environment. The majority of unranked players were from Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire teams, suggesting perhaps that the Midlands could be a hotbed of racketlon talent in the future. 

Division 1 

In Division 1 the biggest question was how would defending champions Surrey cope with the loss of world champion Luke Griffiths? Luke had decided to spearhead his own Nottinghamshire team, but in doing so had he opened the door for a new county to be crowned champions?

Luke’s Nottinghamshire 1 team had been given the number #1 seeding, but they were immediately thwarted by Yorkshire 1 in the first match, with the northerners taking the tie by 30 points. Luke’s former team Surrey, then showed just how well they were coping in his absence,  with an impressive 43 point opening game victory over 2nd seeds Oxfordshire. 

The closest match of the first round featured last year’s division 2 winners Lincolnshire and a newly-formed Worcestershire team. In the east versus west battle it was the Lincolnshire that prevailed, taking the match with a narrow 13 point margin. 

The final first round game saw Kent face Staffordshire 1, with both teams missing experienced players from previous years. In the end however, Kent showed great strength in depth to win by a 26 point margin. 

Kent’s next task was to prove too much however; a Surrey team featuring both reigning British champions (Holly Ranson and Leon Griffiths) powered to the final with a 73 point victory margin over their neighbouring county. 

In the other semi final Yorkshire continued their good form to defeat Lincolnshire by 29 points to set up a north versus south showdown final against Surrey. Powered by 4 badminton specialists, Surrey opened up a considerable lead going into the squash and were able to hold off a late charge to take the match by a 36 point margin and win the title for a second consecutive year.   

Lincolnshire edged a tight battle with Kent for 3rd place, taking the match by a 19 point margin. 

County Div 1 Teams – L-R & Top-Bottom: Lincolnshire, Surrey/Yorkshire 1, Kent, Staffordshire 1, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire 1

Division 2

With 2023 winners Lincolnshire now competing in division 1, a new champion was to be crowned in division 2 this year.

A Hertfordshire team led by Jamie Watkin-Rees were the number #1 seeds, and so had the luxury of a bye in the first round. They awaited the winners of Warwickshire and Yorkshire 2, and it was the northerners with a far more experienced racketlon team, who proved victorious, taking the match by a 61 point margin. In the semi final Yorkshire had the momentum, but Hertfordshire were fresh and showed their quality in a +21 win to advance into the finals.

On the other side of the draw, 2nd seeds Hampshire, led by Matthew Haynes, faced a Nottinghamshire 2 team of elite badminton players with no prior racketlon experience. It was the well-rounded Hampshire team that came out on top with a +44 victory and they then faced Oxfordshire 2 in the semi finals, who had earlier beaten Staffordshire 2 by 57 points.

Oxfordshire 2’s, led by Rohan Shergill didn’t quite have enough to halt Hampshire, and the south coasters sailed to a +43 victory, booking their place in the final to face Hertfordshire.

In the final the highlight was certainly the battle between men’s singles number 1’s Matthew Haynes and Jamie Watkin-Rees, who were both fired up in an intense battle. Going into the squash, Hampshire had a 36 point lead, but could certainly not ease up, especially as Hertfordshire had some strong tennis players within their squad. Despite a late surge, Herts couldn’t quite catch up and Hampshire were crowned division 2 champions with a +12 victory.

Yorkshire 2 picked up 3rd place with a tight +13 victory over Oxfordshire 2.

 Division 2 Teams L-R & T-B: Staffordshire 2, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Yorkshire 2, Oxfordshire 2

Congratulations to our county champions of 2024 – Surrey in division 1 and Hampshire in division 2!

A big thank you to James Pope for organising the event and for Kieran Shelley for making sure everything ran smoothly on the day. We’d also like to thank Keele University for providing their excellent facilities once again.

As always, keep your eyes peeled on the UK Racketlon social media channels and you can follow score updates on tournament software. 

The next tournament, and the last before the World Championships, is the Yorkshire Open on July 14th, which you can enter here: https://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/events.aspx?id=69d4ffa2-74de-4359-943f-f80ee4e51599

We hope to see you there!

Happy racketlon-ing to you all! 

This weekend brings an extravaganza of racketlon to the beautiful county of Staffordshire as Keele University plays host to both the Staffordshire Open Sprint and 2024 County Championships. 

Staffordshire Open Sprint 2024

Starting with Saturday, the UK Racketlon tour is breaking new ground with a new and exciting short format (sprint) tournament, with the Staffordshire Open Sprint 2024.

Following the lead of cricket with their T20 format, racketlon sprint has been designed to bring a different level of fun, excitement and drama to our incredible sport, and the Staffordshire Open will be making history as the world’s first ever short-format racketlon tournament! Players will battle it out to 11 points in each sport, with 1-minute knock ups (unless the squash ball is cold), and a guaranteed 5 matches rather than the usual 3.

Lets take a brief look at the draws and see who are the favourites to come out on top in this weekend’s speedy series. 

Mens A

World Champion and number #1 seed Luke Griffiths is the unsurprising favourite this weekend and will be expecting to meet former British Champion Dan Busby in the final.

Luke starts in Group A against a trio of Jons in the form of Johnny Bispham, Jonathan Ritter and Jon Spinks. With similar profiles, Bispham v Spinks looks set to be the match of the group. 

In group B, Dan Busby will start against James Langworthy, whilst TT specialists Tom Watson and Jamie Watkin-Rees will face-off for the first time ever, in an intriguing match up. 

Women’s A/B

Although not seeded due to a 6 player round robin format, Matilda Parslow will be favourite to take home the title and begins against fellow squash specialist Kate Russell.

England table tennis star Mollie Patterson may be Matilda’s biggest threat, having shown plenty of promise since her debut at the British Championships in April. Mollie starts against Hannah Taylor whilst Dianne Baker will be hoping to use both her badminton skills to full effect against Kayleigh Chapman. 

Men’s B

The men’s B draw looks to be the hardest to call, with an interesting blend of profiles and experience. James Pope is top seed but will face an extremely tough start to life in group A against rising junior star Chase Burgess. Ryan Bezer and James Trueman are the final two players in the group and their opening fixture could feature some real twist and turns. 

 Group B includes 2nd seed Kieran Shelley who starts against the dangerous youngster Thomas Agombar. Andrew Heath faces Jordan Marcus  in the other opening game of the group.

Men’s C

Local legend George Roberts is the top seed in Men’s C but will face tough opposition against Bora Molla, Callum Mitchell and William Steel. Bora often relies on his skilled TT and tennis, whilst Will will pick up most of his points in squash and tennis. Callum Mitchell will also offer a big threat with his county badminton skills, but can George use his experience and home advantage to take the title?

Best of luck to all players and we really hope you enjoy this fresh new format. Results will be posted on tournament software and look out for the tournament review in the coming weeks.   

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Next up, lets take a quick dive into the 2024 County Championships, taking place on Sunday 

UK Racketlon County Championships 2024

In this team event, each match will consist of 3x men’s singles, 1x women’s singles, 1x men’s doubles, and 1x mixed doubles, providing a variety of playing opportunities. Similar to the sprint tournament being played on the Saturday, matches will be shortened to 11 points, and no knock ups will be allowed.    

Defending County Div 1 Champions – Surrey

Division 1

Top seeds Nottinghamshire 1 will begin their bid for the title against Yorkshire 1. Powered by team captain Luke Griffiths, who won the title last year for his home county of Surrey, Notts will be tough to beat, especially in the badminton. Luke’s teammates are Jonny Ritter, Joseph Scott, Mollie Patterson, and unranked Finlay Nelson. Yorkshire’s team features plenty of experience and depth in the form of Tom Atherton, Ryan Bezer, Kieran Shelley and Jo Shelley. 

On the other side of the draw are 2nd seeds Oxfordshire, who open up against defending champions Surrey. Oxfordshire feature a strong  lineup with Ed Westamacott, James Hempstead, Peter Browning, James Trueman and Jane Galsworthy. Surrey will be rocked by the loss of Luke Griffiths, but still feature two reigning British champions in Leon Griffiths and Holly Ranson. Leon has also recruited the unranked pair of Callum Mitchell and Dan McMilan. 

Last year’s division 2 winners Lincolnshire have made the step up, managing to pull together the same squad, featuring Chase Burgess, Matilda Parslow, Leigh Ware, Susie Dilloway and Ivan Parslow. Their 1st round opponents are newly formed Worcestershire, led by captain Jon Spinks, and ably assisted by Martyn Langston, Henry Jones, Julian Clapp and Beth Pye. 

Finally in we have Kent v Stafforshire 1. Despite missing two racketlon stalwarts in Keith Lesser and Ray Jordan, Kent still possess plenty of racketlon experience in their team of James Langworthy, Johnny Bispham, Luke Penna, Andy Heath and Kayleigh Chapman. Staffordshire on the other hand, feature a much less experienced team. Led by team captain Stuart Preston, he is supported by Tom Watson and the unranked trio of Ryan Quek, Tom Chambaud and Sophie Brealey. 

2023 County Div 2 Champions –  Lincolnshire

Division 2

Hertfordshire are number one seeds and have been currently given a bye in the 1st round. They are led by Jamie Watkin-Rees and his team mates include Ishan Bairoliya, Daniel Austin, Bora Molla, Will Steele, Hannah Taylor and Sarah Austin. 

Hertforshire will then face the winner of Warwickshire v Yorkshire 2. Warwickshire will be the less experienced of the two sides, featuring Johnny and Jac Goodall and then the unranked Paul Ahearne, William Ellis and Isla Ellis. Yorkshire 2 features Jordan Marcus, Jon Schofield, Fiona James and Henry Vernon. 

In the other half of the draw, 2nd seeds Hampshire will start against a Nottinghamshire 2 side with no previous racketlon experience (and no declared players at the time of writing – intriguing!). Hampshire, however, will be led by GB player Matt Haynes, and supported by Thomas Agombar, Kate Russell, Phil Pinto and Adam Turner.

The final opening game is between Oxfordshire 2 and Staffordshire 2. Oxfordshire 2 feature Rohan Shergill, Sarah Ball, Jason Oliver and Dhairua Patil, while Staffordshire will field George Roberts, Steve Halliday, Jon Healey, Ray Ryan and Lucy Wan. 

Best of luck to all teams and a big thank you in advance to James Pope for organising both events over the weekend. As always, keep your eyes peeled on the UK Racketlon social media channels and you can follow score updates on tournament software. 

The next tournament, and the last before the World Championships, is the Yorkshire Open on July 14th, which you can enter here: https://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/events.aspx?id=69d4ffa2-74de-4359-943f-f80ee4e51599

We hope to see you there!

Happy racketlon-ing to you all! 

Block out your diaries for the weekend of June 15th and 16th, because UK Racketlon brings you two extremely exciting events that both offer something a little different from the standard UK Tour tournaments!!

Staffordshire Open Racketlon Sprint Tournament – Saturday 15th June, Keele University

Firstly, on Saturday 15th June we are delighted to bring to you the Staffordshire Open Racketlon Sprint Tournament, scheduled to take place at Keele University Sports Centre in Keele, Staffordshire. 

 This Sprint Tournament is the FIRST in the world in the history of Racketlon!!!

So, what is a sprint tournament, and why should you enter?

Innovative Format:
This tournament introduces the concept of Racketlon Sprint, the first tournament of its kind in the world – featuring sets that are played to 11 points instead of the conventional 21. At 10-10, the next point determines the winner, eliminating the need for a two-point lead.

Streamlined Experience:
In an effort to speed-up proceedings, there will be no switching ends or extended warm-up sessions, with the exception of the necessary squash ball warm-up.

More Matches:
Participants are guaranteed five matches, as opposed to the usual three, ensuring ample playing time and the opportunity to compete against a diverse range of opponents in groups of six. We are definitely expecting some more upsets in the seedings and matches with this!

Accessible Entry:
Entry into the tournament is open to players of all ages and skill levels, with an entry fee of £35 (£20 for juniors), making it an inclusive and welcoming event for all.

Whether you’re a seasoned racketlon player or new to the sport, the Staffordshire Open Racketlon Sprint Tournament offers a unique opportunity to experience racketlon in a new and exciting format. In addition, it is a perfect opportunity to practice for both the county champs (see below!) and also the World Team Championships, as these are both played to 11 as well! 

To secure your place in the inaugural Staffordshire Open Racketlon Sprint Tournament, enter via Tournament Software as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. 

Defending County Div 1 Champions – Surrey

UK Racketlon County Championships – Sunday 16th June, Keele University

The 2nd event of the weekend, also being held at Keele University, is the UK Racketlon County Championships, taking place on Sunday 16th June. The 2024 Racketlon County Championships offers players a unique opportunity to play in a team event within the UK Tournament schedule, with a mix of singles, mixed and doubles.

Defending Champions Surrey will be looking to retain their title. Will they continue their winning streak, or will a new contender emerge? Lincolnshire were last year’s winners of Division 2, but can they triumph again? Show your colours and lead your county to glory!

Defending County Div 2 Champions –  Lincolnshire

Here’s what you need to know:

Match Structure:
Each match will consist of 3x men’s singles, 1x women’s singles, 1x men’s doubles, and 1x mixed doubles, providing a variety of playing opportunities.

11-Point Sets:
Sets will follow the Racketlon Sprint format, with each set played to 11 points for added speed and intensity.

Streamlined Experience:
There will be no warm-up sessions, allowing for a more efficient tournament schedule.

Team Composition:
Counties must field a team of at least 3x men and 1x woman, with no maximum limit on players. Each team must contain a minimum of four players, of which one must be a woman. It’s worth noting that if a side contained two women, one could be nominated to play as a man throughout the match. There is no limit on squad sizes and no requirement for the four singles players to also play doubles. Team make up is at the discretion of the captain. Multiple teams per county are allowed. Any queries about this – ask James Pope at new2racketlon@gmail.com or join the County Champs WhatsApp group and ask in there!

Qualification Criteria:
Players must meet one of the following criteria to qualify for their county team:

– county you were born in

– county you live in

– membership in a relevant racket sports club within the county

– previous representation in the County Championships for that county (as long as you haven’t represented a different county since)

Registration:
Interested teams can register online through the Tournament Software website before the deadline. The team captain is responsible for entering the whole team online and will split the cost between their team. Total cost per team is £125, irrespective of how many players are on the team. 

Please be aware the usual rules regarding refunding entries due to withdrawal will apply. If you are intending to enter a team, please contact Tournament Director James Pope (new2racketlon@gmail.com)to let him know which county you will be captaining (you can do this in advance of entering). We will likely have capacity for 16 teams, playing in two divisions of 8.

Not sure of who your county captain is? Again, please get in touch with James Pope (new2racketlon@gmail.com) who will be able to assist you in finding a county, or message on the County Champs WhatsApp group! 

We can’t wait to see you all in what is going to be a fantastic weekend of racketlon, including the world’s first Racketlon Sprint Event! 

Happy racketlon-ing to you all!