You probably haven’t heard of… Eton Fives

By Alice Walker

With University club captain, Alice Walker

What are the rules?

It’s a handball game, played on courts similar to a squash court, only without the back wall. Played in pairs, with four players on the court at once, points can only be scored on the serve, which rotates around the four.

 

What kit do I need?

Just a padded pair of gloves, a fives ball (both of which are available to borrow from the club), trainers and sports gear.

 

 

What first attracted you to it?

I was introduced to fives when I moved school for sixth form, due to it being a major sport there. The speed and accuracy of the top players make the game very exciting to watch. However, a lot of our players join at uni as it is a very easy game to gather skills and progress quickly.

 

Where can we find you?

We train twice a week at Iffley Road, with a coach travelling in once a fortnight. There are around six tournaments a year, plus the Varsity match and dinner held at Eton in March.

How can I start?

Fives is a very easy game to pick up; if you didn’t catch us at the Freshers’ Fair, just visit our website on the Oxford University Sports pages. Many new players join the club, and there are relevant tournaments for all levels.

 

What ‘big event’ should we look out for?

The Varsity match in March, where 24 players are taken to Eton for a game of fives, followed by dinner with a champagne reception from our sponsors, Pol Roger.

 

 

PHOTO// OUEFC