After a short flight and a long airport wait and coach journey we arrived at St Augustine's College just outside Dungarven in County Waterford, about 120 miles south of Dublin, about 9 p.m. Just in time for a good fish-and-chip supper, a brief practice for Saturday's opening ceremony and a few hits on the courts - or rather'alleys' - before bed. Next morning the official programme started with a parade with all the teams' flags proudly displayed and welcomes from the Headmaster, the local Mayor and the President of the Irish Handball Council. Than it was straight into the Doubles. There were seven teams: the full Irish national squad, St Augustine's College tour hosts), England, Wales, France - all with four players in each of the U-19, U-16 and U-13 divisions; Holland (U-16s only) and a joint Belgium end Waterford (local) team (U-16s and U-13s).

By a happy piece of Wiseman organisation all six of our pairs consisted of one Eton and one Rugby Fives player. The U-19s led by James Toop and Giles Corner, both fresh from their respective Nationals triumphs, and Paul Mann and Tom Dunbar started well with wins against Wales and France and a tie with St Augustine's before taking on the practised skills and power of the Irish national team. Our boys fought hard and defended splendidly but the Handballers' advantage of an instinctive feel for the bottom-of-the-wall winner was just too great. It was rather like Giles' advantage over James in the Rugby Fives National Schools Singles Final two days earlier. We got eighteen points in the two games to Ireland's forty-seven. All matches were played over a fixed period of time.

The U-16s did even better. Both Alick Varma and Adrian Lee and Ian Mogford and Tom M'cCall held the full Ireland team to close matches, twenty-five points to thirty-four, were five points up against St Augustine's and well up against the rest.

The U-13s. Milan Kovacevich, Christos Hajipapas. John Noddings and Dash Mason, found it much more difficult, being comparatively inexperienced at any form of hand-struck ball game. They were well down against the two Irish pairs but fought back hard to finish 21-25 in the St Augustine's games and were respectably close to Wales and France.

An enjoyably exhausting day ended with some lively Irish music and an introduction to the four-wall (40x20) game for some.

On to Sunday and the Singles, without the complications of the legitimate blocking rule which operates in Doubles. Our biggest guns, James and Giles, fought hard and well against the Irish top two scoring six points each but, more significantly, restricting their opponents to fifteen and sixteen in hard-fought, low-scoring games. Then came our big breakthrough: Paul and Tom notched up our first wins against Ireland, Paul 18-7 and Tom 12-6. Tom won all four of his matches: Paul lost narrowly to his St Augustine's opponent.

The U-16s followed up with two more Irish scalps including Tom M'cCall's 15-8 defeat of Lydia Doolan, the Ladies U-15 four-wall World Champion, hitherto unbeaten. The other two Irish games were narrowly lost and all the rest won.

The U-13s, improving all the time, but handicapped by an ankle injury to Milan. managed one tie against Ireland, losing the other three, but finished strongly to outscore the French 68-43 in their four matches. So the final tally and finishing order was as follows:

1. Ireland - 1,153 points
2. England - 935 points
3. St Augustine's College - 850 points
4. Wales - 601 points
5. France - 520 points
6. Holland - 163 points
7. Belgium/Waterford - 148 points

It is only fair to point out that the Dutch and Belgium/Waterford teams were incomplete and played significantly fewer games than the rest.

That evening we had a banquet and the formal presentation of the Trophy and medals by the Mayor followed by a display of Irish dancing. So ended a wonderfully enjoyable tournament, impeccably organised and run by Brother Spring and his splendid team of pupils and former pupils of the College. We are most grateful to all the Irish officials who helped to make us so welcome: especially Peter Carter, President of the Irish Handball Council; Lorcan O'Rourke, its Administrator: Caimin Jones, President of the World Handball Council; and Father Pat Moran, Headmaster of St Augustine's College. Also to Tom O'Connor, whose energy and good will in trying to foster internationalinterest and cooperation in all ball games played with the hand - especially through the medium of the one-wall game - is legendary. What a shame that he had to miss the last part of this very successful fulfilment of one of his dreams. We wish him a swift return to good health.

We all hope that this unique cooperation of the two Associations of Eton and Rugby Fives is the first of many such ventures. It has shown that with a little practice (and remember our boys had had virtually none - just a few hits on a hastily marked out'alley' at St Paul's during the Rugby Fives National Schools Championships) players of either Fives code can quickly adjust to the one-wall game and soon compete on more or less equal terms even with good and experienced one-wallers. This is surely the way forward if Eton and Rugby Fives players are ever to extend their worlds into a truly international arena: without, of course, interfering with or detracting from their own great and beloved games.

Howard Wiseman's initiative backed by both Associations, has really broken new ground and he deserves great credit for this, for his superb management and masterminding of the trip and his encouragement and wise advise to the players, backed up by James' cheerful and thoughtful captaincy.

I hope that all the boys who played in the England team will spread the word and encourage others to join them or follow in their footsteps. I certainly shall.

ENGLAND TEAM
U-19: Howard Wiseman (Manager); James Toop (St Olave's School) (Captain); Giles Corner (St Paul's School): Paul Mann (Radley College); Tom Dunbar (Harrow School).
U-16: Alick Varma (Highgate School): Adrian Lee (St Paul's School); Ian Mogford (St Paul's School): Tom M'cCall (Eton College).
U-13: Milan Kovacevich (Christ's Hospital); Christos Hajipapas (Highgate Junior): John Noddings (Christ's Hospital): Dash Mason (Stoke Newington).

European Youth One-Wall Handball Championships by Alistair Mackenzie
Created 12th February 2006 by Mike Fenn
efa@etonfives.co.uk

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