29/06/2026
Days 5, 6 & 7 – Gibraltar Tour
The final stages of the Gibraltar Open saw the Army team continue to compete strongly across the various plate competitions, with several players producing impressive results against quality opposition and bringing home silverware to round off an excellent week of squash.
LCpl Paul Jones continued his campaign in the Men’s Open before eventually dropping into the Men’s A Plate as the standard of competition continued to rise. There he faced fellow Army player Signaller Dan Stamford in another all-Army encounter which proved to be one of the standout matches of the latter stages of the tournament. In a hard-fought contest full of long rallies and physical exchanges, Paul emerged victorious by three games to one before carrying that momentum through the remainder of the competition to claim the Men’s A Plate title.
Capt Aiden Rusk also progressed into the B Plate competition, where he faced the RAPTCs AJ Wilson in an intense and chaotic match and he produced a performance to secure a 3–0 victory. He continued on in the Men’s B Plate and went on to win that competition, ensuring another piece of silverware for the Army contingent. His run ended in the Men's A plate when he lost to a strong local Gibraltar player in a challenging fixture.
Maj Elaine Radcliffe faced one of the toughest schedules of the tournament, competing against several highly ranked opponents throughout the week. Among these was an encounter against the Slovenian Women's Number One, providing an invaluable opportunity to test herself against professional-level opposition. Elaine also entered the Men’s Open competition and produced one of the performances of the tournament, defeating the Royal Army Physical Training Corps' Ash Stoby in a closely contested five-game thriller to secure the Men’s C Plate title.
Capt Lydia Brownlow also faced the challenge of competing against professional opposition during the week and acquitted herself well throughout. Despite the difficult draw, she battled hard in every match and was able to take several well-earned points from opponents operating at a significantly higher level, demonstrating resilience and determination throughout the competition.
Elsewhere, the Army team continued to put in strong performances over the closing days of the tournament, with several players meeting each other in later rounds as the draws progressed. These all-Army fixtures created some entertaining contests and highlighted both the depth of talent within the squad and the positive atmosphere that had developed over the course of the week. The attitude, sportsmanship and support shown by everyone involved reflected extremely well on Army squash throughout the tournament.
As the competition drew to a close, the team had the opportunity to watch some exceptionally high-level squash from the latter stages of the Open. Observing professional players compete at close quarters provided a valuable insight into the speed, movement, accuracy and consistency required to perform at the highest levels of the sport.
The tour concluded in traditional fashion, with the team attending the presentation ceremony in fancy dress and celebrating a successful and enjoyable week both on and off the court. During the closing proceedings, the James Dwyer Cup was presented, and a framed and signed Army shirt was gifted to the Gibraltar Squash Club as a token of appreciation for their hospitality and support throughout the visit. The generosity and welcome shown by the club played a major role in making the tour such a success, and the Army team extends its sincere thanks to everyone involved.
