The Sun Shines On Welsh Fives At Rydal
19/05/25: As is fast becoming traditional, the 2025 Welsh Invitational Tournament at Rydal Penrhos took place at the weekend under glorious blue skies.
Since the game was revived in Colwyn Bay in the early 2010s, the annual Welsh Invitational weekend has been one of the highlights of the Rydal Fives calendar. In recent years, with the pandemic, staff changes and major changes at the school, including changing from a boarding school to a day school, the number of Fives players has dwindled somewhat from its pre-covid peak, but I am pleased to be able to report that the sport is alive and kicking at its most westerly UK outpost.
A nine strong group of L6th formers - six girls who have been playing for a while now and who are all Welsh Invitational veterans and three more recently recruited boys - gathered on Saturday along with Matt Wilkinson from the Rydal staff, Old Rydalian Matty Fiorita, regular visitors Charlotta Cooley, Stephen Thatcher and Gareth Hoskins and first timers Matt Davis, Henry Steele and Kristiana Smilovska, who had made the long journey up from the South Coast (of England, not Wales...) to take part.
The usual format was employed, with a series of matches involving new partners and new opponents each time. The standard was high from the start, with the girls showing the benefit of having played for several years now and improving during the course of the afternoon as they adjusted to the challenge of a competitive format. The three less experienced boys also showed an immediate aptitude, meaning the games were hard fought and generally close right from the start. After five rounds there was little to separate the nine Rydal pupils, but the top four points scorers made it through to the final, where Fflur & Ceylin held off a strong comeback from Amelie & Chloe to win 12-9.
Exams and other school commitments meant that the Sunday morning format was adjusted to provide some matches for the adults, who had enjoyed the usual convivial meal at Pen Y Bryn on Saturday evening as well as a bracing dip (for one member of the party anyway) in the Irish Sea. Old Rydalian Tom Cotterell was back in action and a there were a couple of keenly fought warm up matches before four pairs were put together to play semi-finals and a final. The two ORs were in harness and started strongly with a comfortable semi-final win over Stephen & Henry, but faced stiffer opposition in the final in the form of Matt & Charlotta, who had seen off the challenge of Gareth & Kristiana in the other semi. The first half of the final was a tight cagey affair with neither side able to gain control, before Matt & Charlotta finally broke away to win 12-6.
It is always a real pleasure to spend a weekend playing on the Rydal courts and catching up with the Fives players of North Wales. We would like to thank the school, Matt Wilkinson and Ryan Kirby for hosting us and look forward to coming back next year, before which we are anticipating seeing a good senior Rydal contingent at next season's National Schools' Championships.
Welsh Invitational 2025
Saturday Final
Fflur & Ceylin beat Amelie & Chloe 12-9
Sunday Final
Matt & Charlotta beat Tom & Matty 12-6
