It’s fun, it’s easy to play and it’s great for everyone. What is it? It’s Scotland’s new sport – racketball.  

Over the next couple of months, racketball is going to be rolled out all over the country. By the end of the launch period it is expected that kids, teenagers and even grans and grandads will be hooked by an activity that is similar to squash, but more accessible to all.  

Maggie Lawrie is the woman driving the project forward. She has recently taken up a post of Racketball manager at the newly-named Scottish Squash and Racketball Association and she envisages an exciting future for the sport. 

“Racketball is something with wide appeal,” she said. “It is a sport that can be played by youngsters from around the age of ten and it is a great way to keep fit, so I am sure it will attract a lot of women. Our initial target groups are ten to 19-year-olds, women and over-45s. “ 

Maggie is vigorously spreading the word, and among the sport’s first batch of fans are members of the Edinburgh and Glasgow rugby teams. 

“The Edinburgh guys have had racketball sessions at Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh Sports Club and they all loved it,” said Maggie. “Some of the players had never lifted a racket before, but they all managed decent games and came off court sweating. 

“It was so successful, and they enjoyed it so much, that the coach is going to use it as part of the pre-season training.” 

The first launch day will be at Edinburgh Sports Club on August 28th and other sessions will be held in Dundee (September 4), Inverness (September 25), Aberdeen (September 26), Perth (October 2) and Glasgow (October 3). Check out www.scottishracketball.com for further details. 

The days will be open to all – players, coaches, school teachers – a great welcome awaits everyone who is interested in this exciting addition to Scotland’s sporting landscape. 

“We will be delighted for anyone to turn up, and we will be sending invitations to the area’s Active Schools Coordinators and people involved with sport in the local authority,” added Maggie.  

Of course, squash has a string of tradition in Scotland – Peter Nicol (before he defected to England) and Australian-born John White are two Scots who have held the world No.1 ranking. The current Scottish No.1, Alan Clyne, will be heading the Scottish challenge at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October. 

John Dunlop, the new Chief Executive of Scottish Squash, is another of the driving forces behind racketball. “It is going to be a great way of introducing more people to sport,” he explained. “Racketball is easier to play, but could be a great transition to squash.” 

Maggie calls it the missing link. “We have mini-squash for the very wee kids and then squash for the older players. Racketball is now a step in between.”  

Racketball, in a slightly different form, was originated in the USA, but was then adapted to its current form in England and Australia. The rackets have bigger heads than the squash variety and the ball is bigger. But both sports can be played on the same court. 

Do you want to give it a try? Then why not pop along to one of the launch days – or contact your local squash club for further details.

EB

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