Jan 2011: Cross Code New Year Fives-fest in Marlborough

Fives history was made on Sunday Jan 2nd 2011, as North Oxford Eton Fives Club took on Marlborough Town Rugby Fives Club in a cross-code New Year Fives challenge. Marlborough is lucky enough to have 4 Rugby Fives courts and 2 Eton Fives courts side by side and 10 players from each club enjoyed an evening of mix and match doubles matches, switching effortlessly (in some cases anyway) from the three wall game to the four wall code.

The North Oxford team featured 11 times Kinnaird Cup winner John Reynolds plus the secretaries of the EFA and RFA respectively, Gareth Hoskins and Andy Pringle. The success of the event can perhaps best be summarised by reporting that Andy won all of his Eton matches but lost all of his Rugby Fives games, with the reverse true for Gareth. Maybe a job swap could be on the cards? The return match is scheduled for May in Oxford on the Eton and Rugby courts at Iffley Road, with both sides looking forward to the encounter.