“Two Rugby Fives courts were built in the main quadrangle in Rigaud’s time (1851-58), to which a third was added in Holden’s (1858-83), but they gave shelter to bare-fist fights as often as to the game. From 1868 the singles and doubles Fives finals were played on Sports Day.

On his arrival in 1906, A K Watson provided two Eton Fives courts behind the pavilion and he and his science master James challenged the staff of Bury School to a match in which the Ipswich pair triumphed. By 1942 the game had died and the Rugby Fives courts with their thirty-inch high back walls were used as coal sheds until they were demolished in the developments of the 1950s.

When Martin Shortland-Jones joined the staff, the Eton game was revived in newly covered courts; he married James Young’s daughter. The game has remained popular since and a third court was built in 1992. Its survival was ensured when Barry Hoskins learned to love the courts in the early seventies, and Mike Fenn and Peter Boughton, bursar, gave him every support to expand the fixture list and to encourage female participation.

Simon Woolfries and Gareth Hoskins (captain) won half blues at Cambridge and Nick Broyden gained his at Oxford. Staff stars have been the mathematician Karen Runnacles (later Hoskins) who partnered Peter Boughton to win the National Mixed Championships four times between 1989 and 1995, Karen dominated with eleven successive victories in the National Ladies Championships (with three different partners) 1988-98. The best boys’ performance in the National Schools Championships was in 1993 at Shrewsbury when U16s Charles Robinson and James Thompson reached the semi-finals before losing to the Eton first pair.”

J. M. B.

Article by Dr John Blatchly
Created 12th 2003
efa@etonfives.co.uk

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