Rackets – National Champions!

The first day of the Christmas holidays was one of celebration for Wellington on finals day of the National Schools Rackets Championships at The Queen’s Club. Over recent years the girls’ doubles tournaments have run alongside the long-established boys’ singles in the final week of the Michaelmas Term. In the junior (under 16) division Cesca S and Sophia G had a match point to beat Cheltenham 3-0, but failed to win that point and shortly afterwards found themselves at 2-2. However, they held their nerve and eventually won the fifth game 15-11. The senior final followed, with Issie T and Lauren G defending the title they narrowly won last year. This year they showed themselves to have reached an even higher level, and convincingly beat a very competitive Cheltenham pair 3-0. The final event of the day was the Foster Cup, the senior boys’ singles championship, and one of the oldest titles in the sport. Freddie B was appearing in his second consecutive final, and this year made no mistake with an authoritative display against a strong Etonian opponent bringing a convincing and impressive 3-0 win in dramatically quick time. Winning three trophies in one day represents remarkable, possibly unprecedented success, reflecting the dedication and determination of all five players and indeed Wellington’s outstanding professional Ryan Tulley.