ENGLAND CAP THREE NEWCOMERS FOR EUROPEAN BOYS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
England have named three new caps in their six-strong side
for the European Boys' Team Championships being played at
Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic on 8-12 July.
The newcomers are Danny Denison (Howley Hall), Martyn Hamer
(Worsley Park Marriott) and James Ruth (Tavistock). The rest
of the team is Gary Boyd (Northamptonshire County), James
Smith (Sundridge Park) and Paul Waring (Bromborough), all
of whom played in last year's Boys Home Internationals at
Blairgowrie. The non-travelling reserve is Tommy Hunter (Ilford).
Denison was a member of the Yorkshire team that won the Boys
County Championships at St. Anne's Old Links last year. He
first came to national notice when finishing runner-up in
the 2001 McGregor Trophy at Radcliffe-on-Trent, while he was
the individual winner in last year's Yorkshire Inter Union
Junior Team Championships.
The 18-year-old has recently broken into the Yorkshire senior
side and impressed by winning both his singles matches.
Hamer, 17, the son of former international Steven Hamer,
is the newly crowned Lancashire Boys champion. He made his
England under-16 debut against Scotland in 2001 having been
a member of the Lancashire side that won the Boys County Championship
at Longcliffe that same year. In the recent Brabazon Trophy
at Hunstanton he finished runner-up to Michael Skelton for
the George Henriques Salver awarded to the best under-20s.
Ruth, 18, gains his selection after a highly successful career
in his native south west. He represented England at under-16
level for two years and in 2002 won the Welsh Youths Championship,
the South West Boys Championship and finished tied third in
the McEvoy Trophy.
This year he has won the Bernard Darwin Trophy at Rye, claiming
a course record 66 in the process, as well as the South of
England Youths Championship.
Besides being a member of England's victorious team at Blairgowrie
last August, Boyd, 16, was capped last year at under 16 level
against Italy, Spain and Scotland. Domestically, he won the
Northants County Cup and Short Course Championship, while
this year he finished joint first in the under-17 title in
the Faldo Series at Royal West Norfolk as well as fifth in
the McEvoy Trophy.
Smith, 17, was also capped for the first time at this level
in last year's Boys Home Internationals and played a major
role in helping Kent to the Boys County Finals at St Annes
Old Links where they finished runners-up to Yorkshire.
Waring, 18, is the only survivor of England's line-up in
last year's European Boys Team Championships. He enjoyed an
eventful 2002 winning the Cheshire Boys Championship and finishing
tied third in the McEvoy Trophy as well as representing England
in the World Boys Team Championships in Japan and the Boys
Home Internationals.
Further honours came his way when he represented GB&I
in the Jacques Leglise Trophy against the Continent of Europe
in Switzerland. Waring is also a former winner of the McGregor
Trophy.
Four of the line-up for the Czech Republic, Boyd, Ruth, Smith
and Waring have already been named to represent England in
the World Boys Team Championships in Japan later this month.
England will be seeking their eighth victory in the European
Boys Team Championships since 1980. Their last success was
four years ago at Uppsala in Sweden, while last year in Iceland
the team finished fifth behind champions Spain.
The complete team is:
Gary Boyd (Northamptonshire County), Daniel Denison (Howley
Hall), Martyn Hamer (Worsley Park Marriott), James Ruth (Tavistock),
James Smith (Sundridge Park), and Paul Waring (Bromborough).
Non-travelling reserve is Tommy Hunter (Ilford).
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