1. What has been your best sporting moment playing Eton Fives?

Playing in the Varsity match in my first year was definitely my highlight. There was a great level of competition, teamwork and all in all a fantastic day out!

2. When did you start to play the sport?

I started in my early teens playing at my local sports centre. Unusually, it had public courts which gave me the opportunity to play. The majority of Eton Fives players attended private schools (it is worth noting that this is not the case in Cambridge, where most people start while at uni) so institutions like sports centres for state school students and universities like Cambridge provide an opportunity to bring diversity into the sport!

3. What is the best bit about being captain?

Without a doubt, the best bit is watching everyone, including yourself, grow as players. Experience and effort make great players so having some contribution to that process is wonderful.

4. And the worst bit…?

The worst bit has to be pestering people to make things happen. It’s not nice for them or for us as captains but it has to occur to make the club run smoothly. This is narrowly followed by losing a match to Oxford.

5. Is it easy for beginners to join?

Super Easy! There is no equipment required as CUEFC will provide gloves and balls. All a beginner needs to do is come along to a session at the Sports Centre on Tuesdays or Thursdays 7-9pm in term time (completely free to try!)

6. Who could a beginner contact to get involved?

The easiest people to contact would be myself (jl2318) or our fantastic women’s captain Lucy (lb831) or alternatively our club email (cuetonfives@gmail.com). Any which way works, drop us a message and we can give you all the details for upcoming sessions!

7. What are your season predictions?

We’ve had an influx of great new players which has been brilliant, so above all I predict lots of success in tournaments and fixtures for them! In addition, we’ve added extra sessions with, arguably, the best Eton Fives player there is for the First team so I can’t help but be optimistic for all upcoming matches (including Varsity)!

8. What makes Eton Fives such a brilliant sport?

There are many things that make Eton Fives great. For the game itself, it’s fast paced but not super athletic (making it accessible) and has many elements of randomness and chance that really spice up the experience – all the odd shaped ledges, buttress, bricks, steps, pepper pot – it’s very unique. I’d encourage a reader to search up an image of an Eton Fives court just to get an idea of the strangeness of its layout. Beyond that, another brilliant feature of the game is that there is no referee whatsoever. The players assess and judge each other’s play and upholding the spirit of the game is vital to playing it correctly! This means that players are kind and understanding and less toxically competitive than other sports can often be.

9. Is there a secret to your success?

I’m not sure there is a secret as such to anyone’s success in sport but I’d absolutely get behind the philosophy that you can only be as good at a sport as the amount you enjoy it. The best Fives players are the ones having the most fun!

10. What do you think about the fact that the sport’s name may put some off?

I think it’s a totally reasonable reaction, as the game is historically tied to Eton College and that is one of the most annoying parts about convincing people to try it out. However, there are plenty of reasons to look past this. For instance, rugby and squash were invented at Rugby (unsurprisingly) and Harrow Schools and don’t necessarily have the same associations due to their names. Furthermore, the community of players is completely the opposite of what a non-player might expect – a major strength of the sport. Ultimately, the name puts people off playing but I think trying it, experiencing it and meeting the community is a whole different measure of its quality!