News & Events
Peter Rivers wins final of Handicap Tournament Final in a 5-game thriller
The final of the 2025 club Handicap Tournament produced a 5-game thriller between Peter Rivers (+1) and Richard Little (-1). The first two games were shared with the same score, 15-13, before Peter edged ahead with a comfortable 15-7 win in the third. Both players have a reputation for never-say-die squash and so it proved when Richard took the fourth game 16-14 to level things up and take things into a fifth, and deciding game. In the end, Peter’s power hitting overcame Richards heroic retrieving and he took the deciding game 15-6.
Club Chairman, Steve Dance, was on hand to be marker and he also conducted the after-match interviews (look out Sky Sports!). Club Honorary President, Roger Booker, resplendent in his England Masters shirt, presented the Club Championship trophy to Peter. Both players also received a copy of coach Tony Griffins squash book, The G-Spot. Tournament organiser, Duncan Nightingale, was on duty as cameraman.
All the categories in the tournament are now complete. The full list of winners is:
Championship winner (only unbeaten player) – Peter Rivers
Plate winner (player with the LOWEST SquashLevel who has lost only one match – Ron Marsh
2nd Plate winner (player with the LOWEST SquashLevel who has lost only two matches – James Mortimer
3rd Plate winner (player with the LOWEST SquashLevel who has lost only three matches – Alistair Robbie
The Henley Squash Club Handicap Tournament uses handicaps generated by the SquashLevels system, designed to make every match as close as possible, giving every player an equal (in theory) chance of winning the whole tournament and allowing players of all abilities to play each other – players who may never come across each other in regular League matches or in the inter-club teams. The draw is completely random, with one round being drawn at a time with approximately one month between rounds – sort of F.A. Cup fashion!
The full draw of the Handicap Tournament may be seen here.
Campion wins third European Squash Masters title
Jill Campion, who lives in Bix and plays squash at the Henley Squash Clubs based in Gillotts Leisure Centre, won her age group at the European Masters Squash Championship held in Wroclaw, Poland last week and retaining the title she won in Hamburg in 2023. This is the third time that Jill has won her age group, having won her first title competing in the over 50s category in Malmo, Sweden, in 2015.
This final was a rematch of the Hamburg final, with Jill once more playing long-standing rival Lynne Davies, from Wales in the final of the over 65s category, both finalists having won all their initial round robin matches. As in Hamburg, Campion did not concede a single game during the tournament and beat Davies in the final 3-0, (11-5, 11-4, 11-6).
Speaking after the final she said, “I am absolutely thrilled to have won this major title for a third time. Lynne has been working on her technique and match strategy and is now playing a more strategic, tactical game. Plus, she is moving a lot better than she was two years ago. I knew that I needed to be fully focused right from the start, keeping the rallies short, and not play my usual hitting and running game. I concentrated on playing tight shots without a lot of pace, forcing Lynne to play a loose ball that gave me the opening I needed to play a winner. This tactic worked well and I was delighted to have won so convincingly, especially as so far 2025 has been a difficult season for me as I took three months off earlier in the year to rebuild the strength around my right knee to prevent further wear and tear on the cartilage.”
Over 600 people from 13 European countries competed in the European Masters Championships, which are held every two years, with age groups starting at over 35 right through to over 80. The tournament was held at Hasta la Vista Club in Wroclaw, Poland, which has 33 courts including 2 glass show courts and is the largest squash club in the world.
Henley Squash Welcomes Players of All Levels as Winter Leagues Begin
Henley Squash Club will compete this winter with three teams entered in Divisions 1, 3 and 4 of the Oxfordshire Squash Rackets Association (OSRA) leagues. This follows a productive summer that saw the club expand its competitive presence.
In the summer campaign, the 1st team, captained by Harry Carr, finished a strong second in Division 1 despite injuries and player absences. Carr himself made 13 appearances, alongside key contributions from Munro Simon Montanus (11) and Richard Brown (11).
The 2nd team (captained by Richard Little) and the 3rd team (captained by Steve Dance) competed in Division 3, finishing 6th and 4th respectively. The two teams were selected to be of equal strength, with players regularly rotated. Notable contributors included Joe Edwards (12), Peter Harrison (11), John Williams (11), Jim Reay (10), Peter Rivers (10), Duncan Nightingale (10), Peter Hopkins (10) and Steve Dance (10).
This was the first time in several years Henley entered three teams in the OSRA summer leagues, underlining the club’s growing strength.
The Winter 1 season kicks off with the 1st team away to Witney on Tuesday 9 September, while the 2nd team host Brackley and the 3rd team travel to Gladiators in Abingdon on Thursday 11 September.
Adding to the club’s recent successes, Jill Campion, multiple World, European and British Masters champion, won the 2025 European Masters Championships in Wroclaw, Poland, at the end of August. This was an especially notable achievement given her recovery from a serious knee injury earlier in the year.
Henley Squash Club, based at Gillotts Leisure Centre, runs competitive teams, a monthly box league, an “open to all” Friday club night, free junior squash sessions (both at weekends and in partnership with Gillotts School), and an annual handicap tournament. The club welcomes players of every standard — from beginners, returners, casual players through to experienced competitors.
The club’s activities are made possible by the support of local businesses and organisations including Zzoomm Broadband, Invesco, South Oxfordshire District Council, Henley Town Council, England Squash, Oxfordshire Squash Rackets Association, Mercers Solicitors, TMS3, GLL/Better and club members Tom Moore and Roger Booker.
Hithercroft Open 5th-6th September – Sign-up Now!
Here is a message from David Quinn at Oxfordshire Squash…
Following on from the success of both the Thame Open in November of last year and the County Closed/Open in late May of this, we now have the inaugural Hithercroft Open in early September.Can you please circulate this poster as wide as you can with an accompanying note encouraging people to sign up. It will also be on the OSRA website.
Entry is via Sporty HQ and for those who can’t use the poster QR code, they can click on www.sportyhq.com/x9ylh. I have just registered and it is all pretty straightforward.
I am hoping that Thame will repeat last year’s event this November and I think Abingdon will be organising an Open at their club in the New Year.
These are great days out both from a playing and viewing perspective. Hithercroft has a seated viewing area for the main glass-backed court and a balcony for the other two together with a fully stocked bar!
If you have further questions, the best point of contact is James Hicks (james@serious4sport.co.uk).
Many thanks,
David Quinn, OSRA
Player of the Year 2024, James Rowson, gets his prizes
We finally caught up with James Rowson this week to award him his prizes for being club Player of the Year 2024.
James improved his SquashLevel by a greater percentage than any other member during calendar year 2024. In addition, he reached the final of the Handicap Tournament, participated in the Internal League (boxes) and also competed regularly for the Henley teams in the Oxfordshire League.
James received a bottle of fizz and a copy of coach Tony Griffin’s book.
Henley Squash Club wraps up Winter season
As Easter arrives, Henley Squash Club is celebrating the end of an action-packed winter season and gearing up for an exciting summer of squash across all levels of play.
Over the winter months—both before and after Christmas—the club proudly fielded two teams in the competitive Oxfordshire Squash Leagues and one in the Berkshire Veterans’ League for players aged 45 and over.
Despite grappling with a long injury list, the 1st Team, led by Harry Carr, put on an outstanding performance, finishing 3rd in the fiercely contested Oxfordshire Division 1. Harry Carr led the way with the most matches played, closely followed by stalwart players Munro Simon Montanus and Andrew Martin.
Meanwhile, the 2nd Team, captained by Steve Dance, made fantastic progress—starting the season in Division 4 and earning promotion to Division 3 after Christmas. They fought hard in the higher division, ending with a respectable 7th place. Key contributors included Jim Reay, Tom Tuite Dalton, and Tim Budden.
The club’s Veterans’ Team, captained by Richard Little, wrapped up a challenging but rewarding season in Berkshire League 3 with a brilliant 4–1 win against local rivals Maidenhead. Most frequent faces on the team included Peter Hopkins, Richard Little, and Steve Dance.
Looking ahead to the warmer months, Henley Squash Club is ramping things up even more. For the first time, three teams will compete in the Oxfordshire Summer Leagues, starting in May and running through August—one more than last year, reflecting the club’s growing momentum.
But it’s not just about teams. The club is proud to host monthly internal leagues and welcomes all to their popular Friday evening club nights — open to everyone, including complete beginners looking to give squash a try in a friendly, social setting.
And in a big win for community engagement, Henley Squash Club has partnered with Gillotts School to introduce over 500 local pupils to the sport since September. Thanks to enthusiastic interest, a regular lunchtime squash club is now running at the school.
Henley Squash Club is open to players of all ages and abilities and thrives on the support of the local community. A huge thank you to our fantastic sponsors over the winter season including —Zzoomm, Invesco, Oxfordshire Squash, England Squash, Tom Moore, Roger Booker, Dave Wright, GLL/Better, TMS, and Mercers—and to South Oxfordshire District Council for their valued support of our mission to grow the game and create opportunities for everyone to get involved.
With squash officially joining the 2028 Olympic Games, there’s never been a better time to pick up a racket and discover why squash is one of the most accessible, exhilarating sports around. Whether you are new to the game, a returning player, or a seasoned competitor, Henley Squash Club welcomes you to come and join the fun this summer!
2025 Handicap Tournament is under way
The full draw for the Handicap Tournament can seen here: 2025 Handicap Tournament.
Although entries are now closed for the 1st round, it is possible for other players to join in on subsequent rounds, albeit not possible for new players to become the overall tournament winner. If you would like join in, please send a message to Duncan.
You can read news stories about last year’s Tournament here and here.
As in previous years, there will be prizes and trophies for all the category winners.
To remind you of the details, and for the benefit of new members…
- The tournament is open to all members, all abilities, with the handicapping designed to make all participants have an equal chance of winning each match – and an equal chance of being the overall tournament winner! The handicaps are calculated by the SquashLevels system.
- There is one round played per month – so the only commitment players have to make is to play one more match per month than they would normally.
- The emphasis is on fun, and getting to meet and play members of different standards that you might not normally come across.
- There is no seeding, with the draws fully random, and the draw for each round made once per month after (hopefully!) all the matches for that round have been played. There is a little leeway in getting matches played each month, but the target dates are the 15th of each month.
- Every player plays in every round. So no-one is ever eliminated completely, but the number of matches a player has lost so far will determine the pool of people they will potentially come up against in the next round.
- The overall winner will be the single unbeaten player at the end of the tournament. The remaining players are grouped based on the number of matches they have lost, and the winner of each group is the one with the lowest SquashLevel.
Everyone is encouraged to join in the fun – the handicaps should ensure that all matches (even between the strongest players and the weakest players) are fun and competitive.
Tesco shoppers – please vote for Henley Squash Club!
Hi all
Our work between the Squash club and Gillott’s school (story: here) has been picked for a possible charity donation by Tesco.
We need you to get everyone you know who shops at Tesco to pick up the blue tokens, and place them in the “Henley Squash” container near the tills. If we win, we’ll get at least an extra 500GBP!!! Please share this page with friends, family, neighbours etc!
This is going on at the Henley, Twyford, and Woodley stores!
Thanks for your help!
Jim
Henley Squash Club fundraising
Henley Squash Club celebrate a proactive and successful 2024 and look forward to further growth in 2025
Henley Squash Club has enjoyed another successful year with several highlights involving the full range of the club’s activities.
The teams continued to play in the Oxfordshire and Berkshire County leagues with some notable team and individual successes. The 1st team, captained by Harry Carr, won the Oxfordshire County 1st Division 2024 Summer Season league; whilst the 2nd team, captained by Steve Danc, gained promotion from Division 4 to Division 3 in the Oxfordshire County Winter 1 (September to December) season. In addition, a Veterans team (over 45 years), captained by Richard Little enjoyed playing in the Berkshire veterans league, maintaining a steady league position.
Individually Jill Campion had an outstanding year including winning her age group at the Welsh Closed, British and European open Masters Squash tournament as well as the prestigious Rac Vintage Squash tournament. Not content with personal success Jill, in collaboration with Kate Murley of GLL/Better (who run the Gillotts Sports Centre), Jill has hosted several sessions specifically targeted at encouraging women’s squash. Further sessions are planned for the new year.
During the year in addition to running an open to all Friday evening “club night” session, the club ran monthly internal leagues with players being promoted or demoted each month depending on their level of success. On top of running the monthly leagues, club secretary Duncan Nightingale also managed a club internal handicap tournament which was won by Barry Carson after a hard-fought match against James Rowson in the final. The Plate competition was won by Peter Rivers, whilst the 2nd and 3rd Plate Competitions were won by James Mortimer and Alistair Robbie respectively. During the year the club ran a weekly junior section, coached and managed by Paul Nieduszynski and Adam Edge. In addition, starting in September the club, led by Jim Reay, initiated a partnership with Gillott’s school to offer the opportunity to all of the school’s pupils to play squash. So far over 300 pupils have been able to have introductory sessions from qualified coaches Brad Murray and Adam Edge, and a lunch time club has been started. It is anticipated that in 2025 an additional 200 pupils will be offered introductory sessions and extra after school sessions are being planned, based on the levels of interest shown so far.
The club has greatly benefited from a range of local company and individual financial supporters including, Zzoomm Invesco, Mercers Solicitors , TMS3, GLL/Better ,and Oxfordshire Squash Racquets Association as well as personal financial support from club member Tom Moore. This support has enabled the club to not only represent the town of Henley in various team and individual competitions but also increase its activities especially seeking to introduce the game of squash to new members young and old alike. The club would welcome any additional supporters or sponsors so that it can continue to promote squash in the Henley area.
Henley Squash is an inclusive club and squash is a game for all ages, as well as being included in the 2028 Olympic games.
Steve Dance
Chairman Henley Squash Club
Henley Squash Club gets new young players with Gillott’s School
Henley Squash Club, who play at the Leisure Centre adjacent to Gillott’s School, have partnered with the school to find ways to encourage more schoolchildren to take up the sport of Squash. The benefits of Squash are not only physical, but also social and mental.
Schoolchildren aged 11-14 have been playing Squash as part of their PE lessons, with the club donating the expertise of two coaches Brad Murray and Adam Edge, both certified by England Squash. The focus at first has been to have fun with friends, while improving coordination and confidence, and getting everyone to be more active. It’s been fabulous to see the enthusiasm from some of the children, and over 300 have experienced Squash so far. The response has been so successful that a brand-new Lunchtime Squash club has been established, with big plans for 2025!
Hayley Rogers, Head of PE at Gillotts School said “It’s great to see the opportunity for our students to try squash, a sport on our doorstep in Henley Leisure Centre. We’ve grateful to the club for making this possible.”
The club is thankful to it’s major sponsors Invesco (financial services) and Zzoomm (fibre broadband supplier) for their support, and in 2025 the club will need to find additional sponsors if this programme is to continue. If you can help in any way, please contact the club via www.henleysquash.co.uk
Henley Squash club is an inclusive club, and squash is a game for all ages. “Turn up and play, open to all” sessions are held every Friday evening (from 6:30pm to 8pm). All welcome!
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