2013/14 Annual Review

Contents President’s Message Rugby Fives Association A welcome from the President Annual Review 2013-14 The Rugby Bob Dolby muses on the organisation behind the great range of RFA tournaments Fives 3 President’s welcome 20 Club reports Have you ever between them. That the same faces Association played in a have been master-minding our two Men’s season review 24 David Barnes on 4 2013-14 tournament? major schoolboy tournaments for not the history of Hopefully many far short of the same length of time. Ladies’ season review 6 Winchester Fives President times. Ever Umpire at the Varsity Match? Can’t 7 Universities/Under Bob Dolby moaned about the remember when it wasn’t... That bloke 27 Obituaries organisation? at the Scottish and the other one in 25s season review Deputy President Never, I bet. That’s Manchester – did anyone do it before 28 End-of-season Bernard Atkinson 8 The new Cambridge because of the them? How about the School Girls’ rankings superb work that Championship, now in its fifth year? I General Secretary courts our tournament wager it’ll be the same chap running it 29 The 100 Club Ian Fuller 9 Schools’ season organisers do, and have done for years, – and brilliantly – in 2034. Jock Burnet RFA Club manager in making our various championships ran the Cambridge Past versus Present review 30 RFA Charitable Trust Hamish Buchanan around the country run like clockwork. for 40 years; that’s beginning to look Okay, occasionally things run over a everyday now. 10 School reports 31 Results round-up Directors bit, but that’s either because there’s a What happens when we need a new 14 The earliest fives ball? 4 Bernard Atkinson massively long three-gamer in the first organiser for the North of England Charlie Brooks round or because one of our illustrious Tournament? The first person asked 15 Bob Dolby on Plate 10 Hamish Buchanan top seeds doesn’t quite make his says “Yes, of course!” and a new reign Paddy d’Ancona appearance on court on time – and starts. I don’t need to name names: competitions Bob Dolby putting on his gloves is then a ten- they are all great servants of Rugby 19 RFA club report Ian Fuller minute operation. Yes, some old- Fives and of the RFA, and we all know David Gardner timers are taken to the limits of their them and treasure them dearly. Peter King physical reserves because one or two of 14 Stuart Kirby our organisers like to fit in at least Andy Pringle three plate competitions “to make sure ‘I don’t need to Alex Smith everyone gets their money’s worth,” name names: Alexandra Steel and agreed, some of the draws are Dan Tristao written out on paper best kept for they are all Dick Warner what the French call “le petit coin”. great servants of It has to be admitted that www.rugbyfivesassociation.net occasionally defending champions Rugby Fives’ manage to leave the trophy in some Editing Team: Alex Smith and Tom Webster far-flung corner of the country, or Designer Michèle Hall perhaps lesser mortals didn’t quite get Tournaments in great shape (07976 964067 [email protected]) round to having the plate engraved. So, the NHS is a mess, the banking 16 Commissioning Editor: Ian Fuller But who’s going to complain? If the system has fallen to pieces, the Liberal Contributing writers: David Barnes, Jacob Brubert, medals didn’t manage to accompany Democrats are in disarray, my Hamish Buchanan, Bob Dolby, John East, David Hebden, Andy Pringle, Douglas Rice, the organiser to the event, who minds? brother’s wearing his Manchester Alexandra Steel, Rick Wilson as well as many Club Sweating floors? We’ll switch to the United boxers at half mast, the price of secretaries and Masters-in-charge of Fives next-door court for a few points – it’s beef in Saône-et-Loire is in free fall, Contributing photographers: David Barnes, not the end of the world. Beeston’s all tramworks – but the one Hamish Buchanan, Bob Dolby, Dan Grant, Will Ellison, Denise Hall-Wilton, thing I know is that our fives Lauren Palmer, Andy Pringle Long-standing organisers tournaments are in great shape and For the RFA’s Policies, Memorandum and Articles Had you realised that one of our good hands. If you haven’t played in of Association, please see the website tournaments has been run since its one lately, enter yourself tout de suite www.rugbyfivesassociation.net inception by the same chap for 54 and have fun. Give the organiser an Company number: 04837244 TOP Fives on camera years? That two people calling it a day incidental pat on the back or buy them Registered Charity: 1136872 CENTRE Mid-game relaxation 24 on the Winchester Fives scene this year a drink down the pub: he or she BOttOM “Have they spelled my have run their show for a half-century deserves it mightily. name correctly?” 2 RFA Annual Review 2013-14 RFA Annual Review 2013-14 3 2013-14 - Men Men’s Season Review Andy Pringle looks back on a season that brought a new balance of power in the game This may be the season that goes to three games, and he only won 16-15 LEFT Will Ellison and down in history as the season when in the third after saving several match Charlie Brooks celebrate three became four. Again, Dan points. the National Doubles BELOW National Singles Tristao, Will Ellison and James Toop This left Dan much the fresher in the finalists Tristao and Ellison dominated the business end of final and he duly won the title – his tournaments, but this year a fourth first national singles title and the first name came into contention. title won by an Old Pauline since 1969. That name is Dan Grant, who figured Look further down the results, and in what was probably the most you’ll see that Dan Grant was already significant single result of the year, starting to make his mark in this when he beat James Toop in the singles tournament. Fresh from taking his semi-finals at the West of England third BUCS singles title, he upset the Open. seedings to beat former champion This, combined with Dan Tristao’s Matt Cavanagh in the quarter-finals. eventual win in the tournament, At January’s North West Open Dan meant that James lost his top spot in reached the semi-finals, only for James the official rankings and, as a result, to exact revenge for his Clifton defeat. could see the proper four-way ‘Next season his top seeding for the National However, in the North of England and challenge at the top of the men’s game Singles. This left Dan – who inherited Scottish Championships, he reached we’ve been so keen on for so long. could see a proper the top seeding – to enjoy a relatively the final. He may have finished as What’s also promising is the fine easy passage into the final, whereas runner-up both times, but the Loretto crop of young players moving up in four-way challenge James and Will fought out a result was particularly impressive, as the rankings. The charge is at the top of the tremendous semi-final. Will was the AboVE James Toop and John Minta at the West he beat Will Ellison in the semis. spearheaded by Ed Kay, now a top 10 eventual winner, but the match went of England; Old Paulines with the Wood Cup All this suggests that next season ranked player, but the likes of Matt men’s game’ Shaw, David Butler and Sam Rolls West of England aren’t far behind. that it’s no longer true to say that doubles finalists 2013, If the story of the year’s singles titles doubles is a game for the more Will Ellison and Hamish was of domination by just two players, experienced player. The thick ends of Buchanan, Dan Grant it was a very different story in the most tournaments were dominated by and Dan Tristao doubles. Just as in the previous season, relatively younger players. we saw a multitude of winners at the We’ve seen good performances from runners-up to Hamish and Bruce major regional events – Dan Grant in Ed Kay (semi-finalist in the National Hanton, who took their fourth the South West, Dan Tristao in London, Doubles championship), Julian successive title in this event. Hamish Buchanan in Yorkshire, Tom Aquilina (semis in the North of There was a new winner in the Dean in the North of England and John England), Jay Gravatt (semis in Vintage (over 55) tournament, too, as Minta in the North West. However, all Durham and Giggleswick) and David Ian Fuller took the singles title – these players had one thing in Butler (also a semi-finalist in ending a seven-year streak for Wayne common: they were paired with Will Giggleswick). Enstone in the process. The pair then Ellison. The most successful of the ‘old teamed up to take the doubles title in It’s a mark of Will’s ability and his guard’ have again been Hamish emphatic fashion. Meanwhile, the versatility that although he won six Buchanan and John Minta – each Masters (over 65) Championship was major titles – including the National taking a title with Will this year, and retained in equally emphatic fashion Doubles title with Charlie Brooks – he notching up more than one other by John East and Martin Wilkinson. never won more than one with any semi-final appearance – while Robin Finally, talking of emphatic wins, full single partner.

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