Risbygate Sports Club enjoyed a fantastic day of competition and community as members came together for our Sunday of Sport, featuring the Tennis Club Championships, Outdoor Bowls Finals and a Padel Parents & Children session.
Beautiful weather and excellent playing conditions provided the perfect backdrop for a busy day across the club, with members, friends and families turning out to compete, support and enjoy the occasion.
From closely fought tennis finals and dramatic finishes on the bowls green to families getting on the padel courts together, the day was a great showcase of the different sports and activities that make up the Risbygate community.
Tennis Club Championships
The Tennis Club Championships provided plenty of competitive action throughout the day as this year’s titles were decided.
Lorna Wright was crowned 2026 Women’s Champion after overcoming Sylvia Kenyon in a competitive final. Both players had to dig deep, producing some excellent tennis before Lorna secured the title.
The Men’s Championship produced one of the matches of the day, with Luke Roberts taking on Sam Ratcliffe. Sam battled back from 2–4 down in the opening set to force a tie-break, before Luke held firm to take the set. He went on to win the second set and secure the 2026 Men’s Championship title after an excellent contest between the two players.
In the Social competition, Adriaan Stannard took the title, with Daniel Garcia-Leon finishing as runner-up after a great tournament from both players.
The Mixed Doubles title went to Sam Ratcliffe and Judith Pugh, who completed an impressive run through the competition to become our 2026 champions. Sam and Judith faced strong opposition throughout the quarter-finals and semi-finals before producing another determined performance in the final against Adriaan Stannard and Helen Stacy. With plenty of competitive rallies and some excellent doubles tennis along the way, they held their nerve when it mattered to secure the title and round off a fantastic championship.
Congratulations to all our champions, finalists and everyone who competed in this year’s Tennis Club Championships.
Drama on the Outdoor Bowls green
There was just as much competition on the bowls green, with the Outdoor Bowls Finals producing some incredibly close matches and memorable finishes.
Our 2026 winners were:
- Men’s Triples: Kelvin Morton, Richard Hardy & David Heath
- Mixed Pairs: Denise Frost & Alan Thomas
- Novice Singles: Tracy Jackson
- Ladies’ Singles: Tracy Jackson
- Ladies’ Pairs: Karen Miller & Jane Skillings
- Ladies’ Two-Bowl Singles: Tracy Jackson
- Men’s Pairs: Kelvin Morton & David Heath
- Handicap Singles: Tony Jackson
- Men’s Four-Bowl Singles: Richard Hardy
- Men’s Two-Bowl Singles: Richard Hardy
Among the day’s standout matches was Richard Hardy’s remarkable comeback against Barry Brough. Trailing 9–18 in the Four-Wood Singles, Richard fought his way back into the match before eventually taking the title 21–18.
There was an equally dramatic finish for Tracy Jackson and Karen Miller, with their match going to a sudden-death extra end before Tracy secured a 15–14 victory.
The Four-Wood Mixed Pairs also went right to the wire. Alan Thomas and Denise Frost scored a seven on the penultimate end to draw level with Mike and Christina Stubbs at 19–19. Alan and Denise then won the final end to complete a 20–19 victory.
It was a brilliant afternoon of bowls and a fitting conclusion to this year’s outdoor competitions.
Families take to the padel courts
Alongside the championship action, our Padel Parents & Children session gave families the chance to get on court and enjoy the sport together.
The session added another dimension to the day and reflected exactly what Sunday of Sport was designed to achieve – bringing different parts of the club together and giving members the opportunity to enjoy everything happening around Risbygate.
A day to celebrate Risbygate sport
Sunday of Sport was about more than the individual results. It was an opportunity to celebrate the talent, enthusiasm and community that exists across Risbygate Sports Club.
A huge thank you goes to everyone who competed, organised matches, prepared courts and greens, supported the players or simply came along and enjoyed the day.
Congratulations to all our 2026 champions and finalists.
After such a successful day, we’re already looking forward to making Sunday of Sport even bigger and better next year.