NO.119
T H E T R U S T Y S E RVA N T
Winchester College Fives Club – Schools’ Champions
R. de W. K. Winlaw (A)
National U18 Singles
1930
R. de W. K. Winlaw (A)
National U18 Singles
1931
H. J. H. Lamb (G) and R. de W. K. Winlaw (A) National U18 Doubles
1931
J. A. O. Bristow (D)
West of England U18 Singles
2000
H. Mohammed (F)
West of England U16 Singles
2003
H. Mohammed (F) and O. J. Pumphrey (G)
West of England U16 Doubles
2003
H. Ishii (G) and O. J. Pumphrey (G)
Winchester Doubles
2003
H. Mohammed (F) and O. J. Pumphrey (G)
Winchester Doubles
2004
W. A. Ellison (C) and H. Mohammed (F)
West of England U18 Doubles
2005
W. A. Ellison (C) and H. Mohammed (F)
National U18 Doubles
2005
L. J. Squire-Smith (C)
National U14 Singles
2005
J.P.C. Kennedy (F) and H.A. Owen (K)
National U14 Doubles
2007
J.P.C. Kennedy (F) and H.A. Owen (K)
West of England U16 Doubles
2009
N.W.A. Baines (F) and J.P.C. Kennedy (F)
Winchester Doubles
2010
J.P. Ganendra (F) and E.T.A. Wylde (H)
West of England U16 Doubles
2011
J.P. Ganendra (F) and E.T.A. Wylde (H)
National U16 Doubles
2011
J.P. Ganendra (F) and E.T.A. Wylde (H)
Winchester Doubles
2012
T.W.P. Watkinson (I)
West of England U16 Singles
2013
S.G. Byers (I)
National U14 Singles
2014
S.G. Byers (I) and T.W. Kidner (E)
National U14 Doubles
2014
Tom Watkinson with the Jesters’ cup after winning the
U18 singles title at the Nationals
T.W.P. Watkinson (I)
West of England U18 Singles
2015
W.N.A. Song (E)
West of England U16 Singles
2015
This means that we have the current
number-one-ranked schoolboys in the
country at U15, U16 and U18: Seb Byers
(I), Albert Song (E), and Tom Watkinson
(I) respectively. In addition, having lost
the previous four finals, Will Ellison
finally became National Singles
Champion in December – the first
Wykehamist to win the title in the 82
year history of the competition. His first
forays onto the Fives court suggested a
steady and keen young player, but signs
that he would rise to the top of the
pyramid were not evident. However, he
had fallen in love with the game and he
kept coming back to the courts and
practising: by the time he left Winchester
he was the third best schoolboy in the
country. After school he quickly became
one of the strongest players on the circuit,
although it was in Doubles that he first
became an adult champion as he teamed
P. Kullavanijaya (C) and W.N.A. Song (E)
West of England U16 Doubles
2015
T.W.P. Watkinson (I)
National U18 Singles
2015
W.N.A. Song (E)
National U16 Singles
2015
B. Kullavanijaya (C) and A.J. Poyntz (I)
National U14 Doubles
2015
up with Hal Mohamed to win the Barnes
Bridge trophy in 2009, building on a
partnership which had already won the
Schools’ National Doubles title in 2005.
Hal and Will won the title 6 years in a
row – an incredible achievement if you
have any inkling of how strong the
competition is: Will’s own personal haul
of titles now reads: 2014 National Singles
Champion; 2013 and 2014 National
Doubles Champion; 6-time National
Winchester Fives Champion; and a total
of 40 open titles from the various regional
competitions as well. Unsurprisingly he is
currently the #1 ranked player in both
Singles and Doubles.
14
The future looks bright. Giles Munn
took over from me as master i/c in 2009
and the school titles have continued to
roll on in. Indeed St. Paul’s, traditionally
the strongest of all the schools, has now
been beaten at U14 level on their home
turf two years in a row. All in all,
Winchester is very much a force on the
Fives circuit again.
I
* My thanks go to David Barnes (A, 54-60)
for giving me permission to extract
information on the history of Fives at
Winchester from his excellent article in the
2002 edition of the Rugby Fives Association
Magazine.