What a nail-biter! After a 26-year wait, Queen’s University Belfast are once again Irish Intervarsities champions, edging out UCD in a dramatic 8-7 final. With UCD having dominated the competition for the past 25 consecutive years, this marks a truly historic and hard-fought victory for Queen’s.
Captain Conor Nugent set the tone early with a commanding win over Alexander Gillen, sparking belief in the Queen’s camp. Adam Faulkner kept the momentum going, defeating Joey Nelson to keep the scoreboard ticking.
The pressure intensified, but Joe Sheard and Ben Watson delivered clutch performances, winning both their singles matches. Junior Close then held his nerve in a tense battle with Louie Murphy, giving Queen’s a 7-5 lead heading into the doubles.
UCD came back strong to level it at 7-7, setting up a nail-biting finale. In the decisive doubles match, Ben Watson teamed up with Daniel Irwin to take on Adam Tunney and Alan Pattison — and it was Queen’s who triumphed, sealing a legendary 8-7 win.
A massive congratulations to the entire Queen’s squad: Conor Nugent, Adam Faulkner, Joe Sheard, Ben Watson, Junior Close, Daniel Irwin, and Renzil D’Souza. A brilliant team performance and a title truly earned!