Central Squash had plenty to celebrate at the recent New Zealand Junior National Championships in Auckland, with two national titles coming home and a week full of standout performances. The event, held at Henderson Squash Club, featured New Zealand’s top juniors battling it out from Under 11s through to Under 19s, with individual play over the weekend followed by the inter-district teams event.

Whanganui’s own Maximus Mathews was in sizzling form, taking out the NZ Under 19 Boys title in his first year in the division. Coming in as top seed and fresh from representing New Zealand at the World Junior Champs in Egypt, Max was all class throughout the tournament. After strong wins in the early rounds, he faced teammate Thor Darlington in the quarterfinals, winning in straight sets, then breezed through the semifinals against Auckland’s Riley McCracken. The final was an all-Central affair against Brodie Bennett from Tararua, and the two produced a cracking match full of long rallies and tight points. Max held his nerve to win 11/7, 11/7, 6/11, 11/8 and claim his first national U19 title.

Darlington went on to finish 8th after a few close battles, Liam Burnard from Ohakune came in 15th, and Sam Watson from Stratford impressed in the U17s, finishing 6th after a couple of epic five-set matches. On the girls’ side, Anna Stokes (Kawaroa Park) finished third in the U19B division, while Amyra Kartiyani, Grace Rowe, and Tahlia Kean all gained valuable experience in the U17s. Ohakune’s Hana Harding was a standout in the U15 girls draw, finishing 7th and showing plenty of promise for the future.

Coach Kent Darlington was full of praise for his squad, saying, “It’s a massive effort from everyone. Playing four or five matches in three days isn’t easy, but Max has been putting in the work and it’s really showing. He’s earned every bit of that win.”

The celebrations didn’t stop there, though — the Central Boys team of Mathews, Bennett, Darlington, Watson, and Burnard, coached by Kent Darlington, went on to win the NZ Junior Teams Championship in dominant fashion, ending a 20-year wait since Central last lifted the trophy back in 2005. Seeded number one, the team stormed through pool play with 4–0 wins over Northland and Wellington, then swept aside Waikato in the semifinals. In the grand final against Bay of Plenty, the boys were on fire once again. Sam Watson set the tone with a gutsy five-set comeback win, Brodie Bennett backed it up with a strong four-set victory, and Max Mathews sealed the deal with a clinical straight-sets performance to give Central the win 3–0 and the national title.

Darlington couldn’t have been prouder of his players. “To back up our number one seeding is never easy, but the boys really delivered,” he said. “They played with heart, discipline, and confidence. Max and Brodie have pushed each other for years, Thor was rock solid, Sam’s comeback win was massive, and Liam did exactly what was needed when called up. That’s what teamwork looks like.”

The Central Girls team of Stokes, Kartiyani, Harding, Kean, and Rowe, coached by Paul Tuffin, found the going tough against some of the top-seeded districts but showed fantastic improvement over the week. “For most of them it was their first nationals, and they just got better and better,” said Tuffin. “Hana was a standout, taking down older, higher-graded players — she’s definitely one to watch.”

Looking ahead, the future is bright for Central Squash. The boys team will return almost unchanged next year, with only one player aging out, and they’re already eyeing a title defence. “The boys now know what it takes,” said Darlington. “We’ll be training hard — because once you’ve had a taste of being the best, you want to stay there!”

Central Squash congratulates all players, coaches, and supporters on an incredible week at Nationals. With two national titles and a wave of rising young talent across the district, the future looks very exciting indeed.