South East clinch Aspire Team Championships crown

South East were crowned as overall champions at the 2026 Aspire Team Championships, edging reigning champions North East by just one point to lift the inaugural Michael Hennings Memorial Trophy.

Held at Warwick University and Kenilworth Squash Club, the Aspire Team Championships is the pinnacle event of the season for players on England Squash's Aspire programme. The competition brings together some of the country's most promising young players, giving them the opportunity to represent their region, compete as part of a team and gain valuable experience against top-level opposition.

This year's event introduced a new format, with four teams from each region - Girls A, Girls B, Boys A and Boys B - competing across two single-day competitions before an overall regional champion was crowned.

The B-team competition got the weekend off to an exciting start, with South East and West Midlands reaching the Girls B final, while North East and South East progressed to the Boys B final. South East produced their best squash when it mattered most, securing a dominant 16–3 victory in the Girls B final at Kenilworth. In the Boys B competition, North East outperformed their seeding to claim the title with a 14–5 win.

North East secured bronze in the Girls B event after a points countback confirmed their advantage over South. South also finished the day on the podium, claiming bronze in the Boys B competition with a 12–7 victory over North West.

On Sunday, the A teams took to the court, with every region demonstrating excellent team spirit, determination and camaraderie throughout the competition. The top four seeds progressed to the semi-finals, with South East facing East and West Midlands taking on North East in the Girls A event. In the Boys A competition, North East met West Midlands, while South East faced North West.

After a series of closely contested matches, North East and South East progressed to both finals, setting up a dramatic conclusion to the race for the Michael Hennings Memorial Trophy. In the Girls A final, South East built on the success of their B team from the previous day to secure an impressive 17–2 victory. The Boys A final proved more competitive and, despite losing Logan Willstrop to injury, North East still secured the title with a 13–6 win.

Both bronze-medal matches were tightly contested. East came out on top 11–8 against West Midlands in the Girls A competition, while West Midlands claimed bronze in the Boys A event with an 11–8 victory over North West.

With two first-place and two second-place finishes across the four events, South East were crowned overall champions and became the first winners of the Michael Hennings Memorial Trophy.

Congratulations to Aara Chima, Ava Hodson, Freya Hennings, Leeya Patel, Manar Ismail, Evie Hennings, James Beecroft, Josh Keen, Lucas Lam, Theo Adoki, Gabriel Cannistraci, Henry Frost, Nikita Goel, India Smith, Flo Perris, Maya Goel, Sara Ibrahim, Isla Jordan, Zack Greengrass, Thomas Irani, Euan Thomson, Aditya Chandramouli, James Bissett and Thomas Earwicker, as well as coaches Ben Hutton and Phoebe Coleman, on a fantastic achievement.

Once again, the Aspire Team Championships delivered everything it promised: high-quality match play, hard-fought contests, outstanding teamwork and a glimpse of the exciting talent coming through England Squash's pathway.

To learn more about the Aspire programme, find out more here or contact Talent Pathway Manager Lucy Townley at [email protected].