Padel and Pints, our first tournament

On Sunday afternoon Oxford University Padel Club held its first tournament. Billed as Padel and Pints, the OUPC Inaugural Tournament, it was organised with Smash Padel Oxford and played at the venue. It was the first time the club had brought its members together to compete in its own name.

An afternoon at North Hinksey

The tournament came four days after the club announced its partnership with Smash Padel Oxford. The partnership gives members reduced booking fees, free racket rental and booking times reserved for them. Beginning at the venue that is now the club's partner, at Oxford Lawn Tennis Club in North Hinksey Village, made the day a fitting start.

The photographs taken that afternoon, some of which appear on this website, show rallies on sunlit courts and members gathered at the picnic benches beside them between games.

Why start with a tournament

For a new club, a tournament does something that casual court bookings cannot. It gives members a reason to find a partner and commit to a date. It shows how many people want to play competitively. And it begins to turn a group of players into a club. Sunday was a first step in all three.

Padel in brief

For readers new to the sport, padel is always played as doubles, on an enclosed court smaller than a tennis court. The walls are in play, as in squash. The serve is underarm and the scoring follows tennis. Rallies are long and the basics come quickly, which is one reason the sport has spread so fast in Britain. It is also why it suits a university club: a complete beginner can enjoy a game in their first hour on court.

What comes next

The club will build on Sunday over the months ahead, with more chances to play at Smash Padel Oxford. Follow @oxfordunipadel for the next dates. Our thanks go to Smash Padel Oxford for hosting, and to everyone who came along to play.