SQUASH

Squash has continued its resurgence at Repton this year, with hotly-contested house competitions and the first external fixtures since the demolition of the old squash courts made way for the new Sports Centre.

The Cross won the boys’ house event, after a fierce battle against Orchard in the final, and Mitre triumphed in the round robin-style tournament in the girls’ competition, winning all of their matches.

The best boys’ players participated in home and away matches against Shrewsbury School, winning 4-1 and 5-2 respectively, underlining the growing strength in depth. Next year we plan to arrange a much wider range of fixtures and to continue squash’s renaissance at Repton.

It’s been particularly gratifying to witness the enthusiasm and technical progress of the pupils in training sessions, again aided by Owain Taylor, current world number 110, who has helped enhance their court craft and understanding of the game. We now have a new crop of incredibly keen players, mostly from Latham, who will no doubt form the backbone of our 1st team next year, in addition to the very talented Charles H, Taheem J, and Joe D’A. One very positive aspect of squash is that players from all across the year groups can play together, making for great wonderful camaraderie and inclusivity.

Over the season, I cannot fault the commitment and determination shown by the pupils. They have trained hard, listened, and have never given up, even in the face of some very stern opposition. I wish all of the leavers the very best and hope that some of them continue to play rugby post-Repton.

Special mention must go to our Upper Sixth leavers: Joe J, Louis A, Henry B-H and Richard C. They all came to the sport quite late in their Repton lives but have grown into superb players through their dedication and determination. I’ll miss their lively wit on court and very much hope that they continue to play at university, returning as Old Reptonians to give me a good game.

BCM