Dutch International 2005

On 17 Mar 05, a 4-man RAF Fencing Team competed in an international military epee tournament organised by the Koninklijke Militaire Schermvereniging (KMSV) and held on the Dutch Army Training Garrison in Weert, The Netherlands. The team members were: Wg Cdr George Liston (Eng & Supp Wg, RAF Wittering - Team Captain), Flt Lt Ruari Henderson-Begg (XV (R) Sqn, RAF Lossiemouth), Cpl Sean Taylor (HSMT, Farnborough) and SAC Paul Hosking (JARIC, Brampton). Travel was by air to Schiphol airport, where the Team was collected by the organisers and ferried to Weert. Overnight accommodation was in the barracks.

The event combined both individual and team competitions, with team members’ victories determining the final positions in both events. Although the entry was smaller than in previous years, 6 teams competed: national military teams from both Belgium and The Netherlands (BIMS), the RAF team, 2 further Dutch military teams (KMSV 1 & 2) and a team representing one of the top Dutch clubs, “Scaramouche”, from Arnhem.

The first match for the RAF team was against BIMS, which featured one member of the Dutch Team at the Athens Olympic Games, and the eventual winner of the individual event, Sonja Tol. The RAF Team (Liston, Henderson-Begg and Hosking) raced to an early lead and secured a victory by 6 fights to 3 – including 2 victories over Tol. Ultimately, these were 2 of only 3 defeats she conceded that day. The second round brought the Team back to earth, however, as it suffered a 2-7 defeat against KMSV 1. Undeterred, the Team – Paul and Sean (replacing Ruari) in particular - rose to the challenge of the next round, as the Team beat Scaramouche 5-4. Following a short break for lunch, the next match was against the undefeated Belgian Team. Unfortunately, that Team preserved its unbeaten record, but was stretched by the RAF, which eventually succumbed 3-6. In the final round, the Team again lost 3-6 against KMSV 2, a disappointing result for both the Team and Liston, who could manage only one victory.

The Belgians remained undefeated to win the team competition, with BIMS securing 3 match victories to take second place. The RAF Team finished equal with both KMSV teams on 2 match victories and the same number of fights won, but finished in a creditable third place by virtue of a superior difference in hits. In the individual event, Hosking was placed 13th, with Liston 6th, having beaten all those placed in the first 3. The day ended with a dinner for all the participants, followed by an exchange of war stories in a nearby bar. The Team departed for the UK early the following morning.

For 3 team members, this was their first international competition. All enjoyed the experience, benefiting from their exposure to a different fencing environment. Results obtained were good, with the Team proving competitive in every round, securing overall third place and winning support from the organisers for its competitive spirit. The Team is very grateful to the RAF Sports Board and RAF Sports Lottery for support, also to Flt Lt Deakin for his organisation. An invitation to compete in next year’s event has already been received from the Chairman of the organisers, Vice-Admiral van Rijn.