THE Jersey Squash Association returned home with silverware from the inaugural Racketball Home Internationals in Glasgow, as their Over 60s squad claimed victory.
Islanders Jon Wood and Richard Le Cornu were in fine form for the side, going the entire event unbeaten, en route to the win.
Jersey team manager and player Ian Furness said: “The event was a huge success, particularly for Over 60s, who actually managed to bring the big silverware home.
“It’s brilliant to see the racketball community come together for an event of this calibre and, from the sounds of it, it’s only going to get better from here on out.”
Hosted at the prestigious Newlands Lawn Tennis Club, one of the premier racket sport facilities in UK, the event featured some of the best racketball talent from England, Scotland, Wales and Jersey.
Two days of action saw the Caesareans compete in the Over 50s, 60s and 70s brackets.
The Jersey O50s side came second in their round-robin style competition, unfortunately losing out to a very strong English team.
Together, they beat Scotland and Wales by three rubbers to one.
The team manager, Furness, and Stuart Conroy, won both of their matches against their home nation counterparts, while Ed Fletcher and Graeme Tanguy brought them over the line with a win against Scotland and Wales respectively.
Against the English side, Furness was able to mount a phenomenal comeback against the number one ranked O50s racketball player in the UK.
Losing the first game 9-11, the Islander turned it around and dominated the remainder of the match, winning the subsequent games 11-3 11-2 11-2.
His teammates did not have the same fortune, however. Conroy was outclassed three games to nil, and, despite putting up a strong fight to claim a close second game, Fletcher ultimately lost out in four.
Charlie Journeaux, a member of the O60s squad, was brought in as a ringer at number four, albeit unable to make a difference in Jersey’s bout against the English, succumbing 14-16 9-11 7-11.
Having said that, Journeaux and his jolly band of Jersey O60s came home victorious, as the first ever Racketball Home Internationals Over 60s champions.
Jon Wood and Richard Le Cornu were the stars of the Jersey outfit.
The pair remained unbeaten throughout the event, a strong contribution towards each of their team’s 3-1 victories.
Furness continued: “Woody was absolutely sensational.
“Considering he’s new to the sport, to come out and dominate in an event like this is a big achievement. I can tell he’s truly hooked on the game now.”
Playing at number one seed, Journeaux also performed well, managing to secure two out of three victories and, where he fell against England, Seamus Gallagher was there to pick up the slack and bring his team over the line.
Finally, Jersey also fielded a rather spry-looking team for the O70s event.
It was said that many of their competitors were enquiring about their phenomenal skin-care routines, until it came to light that they were not in fact over 70.
The Jersey “Over 70s” finished off the competition in second place, beating England and Wales, but narrowly losing out to Scotland on games (7-6) after securing a two-all tie on matches.
However, owing to their “immaturity”, they were unfortunately ineligible for prizes.
There are already plans in place for future iterations of the event.
Set to be hosted in Cardiff next year and Jersey the year after, the goal is to make the event bigger.
The potential plans could involve a switch from “Home International” to a “European-style” event, to accommodate teams from France and the Netherlands, as well as the inclusion of Ladies’ events.
Furness concluded: “I want to say a huge thanks to Grant Thornton for their generous support. Without them, this event would simply not have been possible for us in Jersey.
“All in all, I think it was a fantastic event that was thoroughly enjoyable for everyone included. The results we managed to achieve as a team, especially the Over 60s, were outstanding. Bring on 2025.”
Racketball Home Internationals – Jersey Team Line-Ups/Results Summary
Over 50s: Ian Furness (3/3 wins), Stuart Conroy (2/3), Ed Fletcher (1/3), Graeme Tanguy (1/2), Charlie Journeaux (0/1)
Over 60s: Charlie Journeaux (2/3), Jon Wood (3/3), Richard Le Cornu (3 /3), Seamus Gallagher (1/3)
Over 70s: Tim Knights (0/3), Jamie Le Sueur (3/3), Ian Goodfellow (3/3), Neal Pickersgill (2/3)
