This year’s Fives National Schools’ Championships was held at St Paul’s School in Barnes over four days in March and April and proved popular with a high number of entries. Whitgift U14 pair, Ben Ford and Charlie Mabbutt (pictured), walked away national champions after initially knocking out a strong Winchester pairing in the semi-finals. They secured the final in a 70-minute epic match, winning the third game 11-9 against a skilful Merchiston Castle School from Edinburgh. Fives coach, Nick Morgan, declared it, ‘one of the most thrilling matches I have ever seen!’.

In the same spirit, Whitgift also won the Colts doubles plate trophy (Tom Walters and Luke Brandon) and came 2nd in the Colts singles plate (Ollie Horner).

The competition as a whole was deemed by the RFA to have been ‘played in an excellent spirit, with the highest standards of sportsmanship and manners on court and camaraderie off it.’