Students from across the school travelled to Philadelphia, Washington DC and Boston for an action packed week of Rackets, Tennis, Squash and Pickelball, while playing formal Real Tennis matches against the Rackets Club of Philadelphia and the Waywood Rackets Club in Washington. The group were successful against both clubs with notable singles performances from Archie and Joseph, both of whom have qualified for the Real Tennis World Junior Championship in Bordeaux this month. Charlotte and Rebecca also excelled on the doubles court, highlighting the development of girls’ racquet sports at the school.  

Alongside sporting fixtures, the touring party were able to take in many of the USA's famous sites and monuments. In Philadelphia, they celebrated July 4th by visiting Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell before seeing the iconic ‘The Rocky Steps’ in Washington, the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, the Capitol Building and The White House. They also enjoyed the added bonus of visiting Boston when their return flight was redirected following a technical issue with the aircraft. The Boston Tennis and Racquets Club were brilliant with the short notice and agreed to host our team, enabling them to further enjoy the sites of Boston, most notably the Red Sox famous stadium at Fenway Park. 

Claire Fahey, Head of Racquets and Ladies’ Real Tennis World Champion says “The tour group had a great week in the USA, playing a variety of different racquet sports and I am delighted with their performance. From a Real Tennis perspective, it was a great opportunity to visit and play different opponents at new courts and see a different culture around the game. I am very grateful to the clubs for hosting us and for being so welcoming, and to all the students who helped make this tour so memorable, in particular their mature attitude in the face of adversity when our tour was unexpectedly extended.”