Home
Contact

INTERNATIONAL NEWS	NATIONAL NEWS	REGIONAL NEWS
Youngsters in Felixstowe September 7 – Rugby Tennis Club took a group of young players down to Felixstowe to play in their 80th Junior Tennis Championships. The party of 24 players and a group of stalwart coaches and parents stayed in caravans near to the club. Unusually for this summer, the weather all week was glorious without a drop of rain which meant there was play every day and there was lots of tennis for all. Nearly every player won at least one match and most won more than that (David Heathcote and Luke Markham won three best of three sets matches each on the first day of play!). Players reaching the semi final stages of either singles or doubles in the main draw were Elizabeth Massie (10s doubles) and Amy Barnes (10s singles and doubles), Harry Brignal and Sam Barnes (12s doubles), Emily Robinson and Gemma Trodd (12s doubles) and Rebecca Smith (16s singles). Many other reached quarter finals stages. Rugby's Sam Barnes and Tom Bishop competed for the under 12s consolation final, with Sam the winner. All players did really well and there was a visible improvement in their tennis. Their behaviour and attitude on and off court was very commendable and the trip was so successful that it is planned to do the same next year. The following week more than twenty of Rugby's players were in action at the Warwickshire or Northamptonshire closed tournaments. There is a large entry in each age group and competition is tough. Well done to Luke Markham, Daniel Heathcote and Max Guo who all reached the quarter finals of their main events and to Elizabeth Massie who reached the semi finals. Special mention however to Jake Hersey who was winner of the under 9 boys and to Amelia Tarrant winner of the under 10 girls.	Last weekend the finals of the South Warwickshire Club doubles event were held at Warwick Boat Club, a lovely setting on the banks of the river overlooked by Warwick Castle. Teams from all over South Warwickshire have been competing in leagues all summer and several of Rugby's players had reached the finals. Representing Rugby were Amy Barnes and Estella Haynes (under 10s girls), Emily Robinson and Gemma Trodd (12s girls), Sam Barnes and Harry Brignal (12s boys), Michael Bentham and Gareth Davies (17s boys). Rugby's Daniel Heathcote also played in the event, representing Warwickshire Racquets Centre and he and his partner Conor were the under 10s boys winners. After some great matches, all the Rugby teams who played came runners up, but it was a fantastic achievement to reach finals day and they all received lovely trophies. The under 12s boys event has been postponed until next week so lots of luck to Harry and Sam. Rugby Advertiser Boys do ace job clearing tennis courts September 10 – A trio of youngsters have been battling the vandals to rejuvenate the New Pasture Lane estate tennis courts. Callum Tindall, 11, Harvey Slater, 10 and 11-year-old Patrick Harrison teamed up and formed the NPL Crew to do something about the state of the neglected tennis courts as part of Humberside Police's Lifestyle project. Throughout the summer holidays the boys r egularly visited the courts, along with Callum's mum Anne to pick up rubbish, sweep the area and generally make it usable again. Anne said that she is proud of the boys' efforts which have seen them "single-handedly revamp the courts".	"They were in a right mess before, overgrown with glass and rubbish everywhere, but now the kids can use them again," said Anne. "The boys kept committed for the whole six-week holiday and put in about 70 hours of work. "They were really enthusiastic at first, but it was hard for them when they'd put so much effort in only to find that during the night other kids would go down and trash the place. "Then they would have to start all over again, repeating all the clearing up they'd already done once, but they kept at it. "I wore out three sweepers trying to keep the court clear of glass during the last six weeks!" said Ann, who supervised and helped the boys with the project. Anne said that she looked into the idea of trying to place a basketball hoop at one end of the courts but realised that funding would be very hard to secure. However, she has asked the council to keep an eye on the courts saying that she would not want all the boys' hard work to go to waste. Anne also wished to thank East Riding of Yorkshire Council housing officer Andrew Broughton who supplied equpmient including litter pickers, gloves and bin bags for the team and arranged for the disposal of all the waste they collected The NPL Crew, Harvey Slater, Callum Tindall and Patrick Harrison have worked hard all summer to clean up the New Pasture Lane tennis courts By Alexa Copeland, Bridlington Free Press