Club Profile: Squash
By Niall Harkin
What is squash?
“Sometimes described by pros as ‘physical chess’, squash is an athletic and demanding game involving two people in a walled box with racquets and a ball. Players repeatedly hit the ball against the wall, until either the ball bounces twice or is struck out of play. A point is awarded against the player who struck the ball out.”
Is Manchester’s squash team competitive? Who do they compete against?
“Manchester’s first teams boast a national reputation, including men’s and women’s teams in the premier league. The second and third teams play in the northern and north west sections of British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), competing against rival universities in the region. The squash club scored more BUCS points than any other Manchester team last year, something they are proud of as a society.”
How sociable is the squash club? What else do they do as a society?
“The society is a friendly community, meeting up for a variety of socials such as AU club nights, pub sessions and the occasional curry. We also recently visited the British Grand Prix at SportCity and saw some of the biggest names in world squash, courtesy of the Sports Office at Manchester.”
Is there room and encouragement for players of any ability? Can anyone join?
“Definitely, the teams only make up around a third of all club members, and there are sessions throughout the week for beginners (Monday 7:40pm) and intermediate players (Tuesday 8:20pm) at Sugden Sports Centre.”