Reading Fencing Club

Hampshire Open - 1 and 2 November 2025.
This is a friendly and competitive Open, with a Vets competition running at the same time in opposing days.
Get your entries in now on Sport80!

Reading took home the silver and both bronze medals at the southern region championships last weekend.

Southern Region Seniors
22 June 2025
Newbury College
Entries Open Now on Sport80
https://bf.sport80.com/v/52810/e/events/40066/overview

Final reminder our members that if you'd like to attend the Xmas dinner on Wednesday 13 December then you need to confirm no later than COB Monday.
You need to pay a £20 deposit AND email you festive menu choices to us in order to confirm your place.
Any latecomers cannot be guaranteed a place nor their preferred menu choices.

https://www.southhampshirefencing.co.uk/hampshire-open/ The Hampshire open is on Sat 28th October (29th for the veterans competition), it is a great local competition ideal for your first open.

Hampshire Fencing Open | Hampshire Fencing Clubs The Hampshire Fencing Open is held in Portsmouth. This six weapon fencing open has competitions in foil, epee and sabre

Please Read - New Club Structure and GB League

Starting from next month, we will be reintroducing our monthly Club competition in the guise of the GB League. We will also be reverting to our pre-pandemic schedule / structure.

GB League events are free to visiting fencers.

Full details here:

www.readingfencingclub.co.uk

Christmas Party

We have set the date for our Christmas party as the evening of Wednesday 7 December. As usual, the Club will be closed on that date so there will be no fencing. Philippe is looking into a venue as we speak and so we will confirm details and how to book soon, but please keep the date free and we hope to see you.

We are also hoping to hold a Christmas event for our Under 18 members - either in December or perhaps in January. If any member, or indeed parent, would be interested in helping us to organise this please let us know.

Opening Times

As usual we will be taking a break over the Christmas-New Year period. Our final meeting of this year will be Wednesday 21 December, and we will reopen on Wednesday 11 January.

There's some minor disruption with the sports hall unavailable a few times, so please do check the calendar on our website which has been updated.

BYC Qualifiers

Southern Region have announced that the age group qualifiers for the British Youth Championships (BYCs) will be held on 26 February and 26 March 2023. Southern will confirm which weapons will take place on which dates, but please do make a note.

Virgile has been doing some fantastic work with our Under 18s and the regional competition is a fun way for our juniors to get in some extra fencing and pit themselves against their peers from other clubs around the area - so we're hoping for a good turnout. If you have any questions about competitions - regardless of your age or even if you're a parent - please do ask!

John Llewellyn will be taking individual lessons on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 till 9pm. You can book in advance and this will start this coming Wednesday.

John is working on a webpage for bookings but until this is up and running, please contact John by email at [email protected] to book a lesson time. Lessons are 20 minutes and cost £12. You can also book a block of 4 lessons which costs £40.

You should turn up for the Wednesday Group session as usual. If you book the 7:30pm lesson, please turn up a little earlier to warm-up and prepare for your lesson so that you can begin on time. For later lesson times, join in with Virgile’s group lesson as usual and then stop well in time to prepare for your individual lesson. You can then return to the group session after your lesson, or go straight into sparring.

Important Note: it is important to stay at training until at least 9pm if you can, so that you get the most benefit from your evening of fencing.

You can see John's profile here:

Reading Fencing Club - Reading Fencing Club - Coaches John helps Virgile with the Juniors from 6.30 to 7.30pm on Monday evenings. He will also be available for 1:1 lessons on a Wednesday evening which can be booked in advance on-line.

Welcome to 2022!! We re-open after the festive break on Wednesday 5 January.

Please note that the sports hall is unavailable on a few nights this month (10th, 12th and 24th) so for those nights we will meet in Wey Hall which is a couple minutes’ walk away.

The Calendar section has been updated so as usual please do check back regularly for updates.

Reading Fencing Club - Group lesson from 7:30pm These sessions will be coached by Virgile They are a great opportunity for some additional coaching, with a warm-up and footwork session followed by a technical lesson - lasting approximately an hour.

Volunteers Needed! - National Tetrathlon Championships

We have had an urgent resquest from Pentathlon GB about the National Tet Championships taking place on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 November.

The event is taking place at Bath University, Sports Training Village, Claverton Down Bath BA2 7AY, Bath.

The organisers need around 6 fencing referees both days to help officiate.

All fencing referees will receive a full briefing upon arrival and will be provided with:
- £40 per person, per day for their time
- Reimbursement for any travel expenses incurred (in line with our volunteer expenses policy – attached)
- Free accommodation nearby (hotel) if they are travelling from a long distance to get to the event
- Refreshments including packed lunches on both day

The team would need the fencing referees on site from 07:30-18:00hrs on Saturday 6 November, and then from 07:30-14:00hrs on Sunday 7 November.

If you are able to help on either / both days please contact us and we’ll forward pit you in touch with the organiser at PGB.